March 2, 2000
GREYHOUNDS RANKED 3rd IN PRESEASON NCAA SOFTBALL POLL
INDIANAPOLIS, IN --- The Moravian College softball team, which returns 12 letterwinners
from last seasons 26-18 team, has been ranked third in the 2000 NCAA Division III
East Region Preseason Poll released Thursday by the NCAA.
The Greyhounds, under the direction of head coach John Byrne (7th season, 168-69),
have made the NCAA Division III Tournament the last two seasons as an at-large team. This
season under the new automatic bid system the NCAA is using on the Division III level,
Moravian must win the MAC Commonwealth Conferences automatic bid since there are
only four at-large bids nationwide.
Moravian trails Rowan University and The College of New Jersey in the regional poll. The
Greyhounds will play a doubleheader at Rowan on April 8th and host The College of New Jersey
for a single game on April 21st. Rounding out the top five in the region were Ursinus College
and William Paterson College of New Jersey. Moravian will also play both of those schools,
travelling to Ursinus on March 30th and William Paterson on April 13th. Three other teams
were mentioned in the region and the Greyhounds will play doubleheaders against two of
those schools, Messiah College and Susquehanna University. The other school mentioned is
Montclair State University (NJ).
The NCAA Division III East Region is made up of 72 teams including schools from the following
Conference: Middle Atlantic Conference, New Jersey Athletic Conference, Centennial Conference,
Pennsylvania Athletic Conference and the City University of New York Athletic Conference.
The region also includes 13 schools that will compete as independents.
Moravian opens its 2000 season at the Virginia Wesleyan College Lady Marlin Tournament
on Friday, March 10th with games against Chowan College (NC), Mary Washington College (VA)
and North Carolina Wesleyan College in Virginia Beach, Virginia. North Carolina Wesleyan,
which used to be in the East Region, is ranked second in the Atlantic Region. Moravian
will also play Methodist College (NC), the fourth ranked team in the Atlantic Region and
Bridgewater College (VA), the fifth ranked team in the region this season.
2000 NCAA Division III East Region Preseason Poll
Released March 2, 2000
- Rowan University (NJ)
- The College of New Jersey
- Moravian College
- Ursinus College
- William Paterson University (NJ)
Also mentioned: Messiah College, Montclair State University (NJ), Susquehanna University
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