March 15, 1999
MORAVIAN SOFTBALL RANKED REGIONALLY
OVERLAND PARK, KS --- The Moravian College softball team, which opened its 1999 season
with a 4-1 record at the Virginia Wesleyan College Lady Marlin Softball Tournament this
past weekend, has been ranked by the NCAA in the preseason Division III Regional Poll.
The Lady Greyhounds are ranked third in the East Region behind Middle Atlantic Conference
Commonwealth League rival Messiah College and North Carolina Wesleyan College. Susquehanna
University, another MAC Commonwealth League squad, is ranked fourth in the region and Allegheny
College and Christopher Newport College (VA) are tied for fifth.
Last season, Moravian made the NCAA Division III tournament for the first time in school
history and finished the year with a 27-14 record.
Moravian has already played two ranked opponents this season at the Virginia Wesleyan
Tournament. The Lady Greyhounds defeated North Carolina Wesleyan, 2-1 in eight innings
on a bases-loaded, two-out suicide squeeze play, and lost to Salisbury State University,
3-2 in 10 innings. Salisbury State is ranked first in the Atlantic Region and competed
in the NCAA Division III World Series.
In addition to MAC Commonwealth League doubleheaders with Messiah and Susquehanna, Moravian
will play three other teams ranked in the preseason. The Lady Greyhounds have double headers
scheduled with Rowan University, second in the Atlantic Region, and William Paterson College,
fourth in the Atlantic Region, and a single game with the College of New Jersey, third
in the Atlantic Region.
Moravian will compete at the Salisbury State Tournament this weekend and has games scheduled
against Susquehanna, Western Maryland College and Chowan College. Western Maryland and
Chowan competed in the 1998 NCAA Division III East Regional with Moravian, Messiah and
North Carolina Wesleyan.
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