LOUISVILLE, Ky. – There is a new No. 1 as the University of North Georgia claims the top spot in this week’s NFCA Division II Top 25 Coaches Poll. The NightHawks (49-2) own the most wins in NCAA softball and overtook Colorado Mesa, who held the No. 1 ranking for the last seven weeks.
UNG received 14 first-place votes and 398 points. It marks the first time the NightHawks are No. 1 since the 2016 preseason poll. North Georgia enters the final week of the regular season with a pair of Peach Belt Conference twinbills against No. 20 Georgia College and Flagler.
No. 2 Chico State and No. 3 Colorado Mesa each earned one first-place vote. The Wildcats (43-3), who have been No. 3 for five straight weeks, move up to No. 2 following a four-game California Collegiate Athletic Association road sweep of Humboldt State. The Mavericks (39-3) dipped to No. 3 after a split of their four-game Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference series against RV Colorado Christian.
Southern Arkansas, North Alabama and Angelo State remained at No. 4-6 and all reached the 40-win plateau last week. The Lady Muleriders (43-5) went 5-1 in Great American Conference play with their only blemish coming at the hands of then-No. 21 Arkansas Tech. The Lions (40-4), who own the longest active Division II winning streak at 17 games, swept through Gulf South Conference play with five wins. The Rambelles (40-reached the 40-win plateau with a 5-0 week.
Winona State (35-5) moved to No. 7 with a pair of Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference doubleheader road sweeps. Palm Beach Atlantic comes in at No. 8 after a 2-1 Sunshine State Conference series win at Nova Southeastern.
South Atlantic Conference (SAC) regular season champion Lenoir-Rhyne fell two spots to No. 9, going 2-2 in the final week of league play. The Bears (42-7) enter the SAC Tournament, hosted by Anderson, as the No. 1 seed and will face off against Carson-Newman in the quarterfinals.
No. 10 Grand Valley State ran away with the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) regular season title, holding an 18-2 mark with a week left in the regular season. The Lakers (31-7) dropped their first two GLIAC contests, splitting doubleheaders with Ashland and Tiffin.
A big shift happened in the bottom half of the poll this week as five programs entered- No. 16 Concordia Irvine (38-12), No. 22 West Virginia Wesleyan (33-10), No. 23 Embry-Riddle (32-13), No. 24 St. Anselm (31-9-1) and No. 25 McKendree (33-14) and five dropped out- West Florida, Saint Leo, Indianapolis, Arkansas Tech and West Chester.
The 2018 NFCA Division II Top 25 Poll is voted on by 16 NCAA Division II head coaches with two representing each of the eight NCAA regions. Records reflect games played through April 22, 2018.
2018 NFCA Division II
Top 25 Coaches Poll – April 25 (Week 10)
Rank
Team
Points
Record
Previous
1
North Georgia (14)
398
49-2
2
2
Chico State (1)
379
43-3
3
3
Colorado Mesa (1)
372
39-3
1
4
Southern Arkansas
347
43-5
4
5
North Alabama
343
40-4
5
6
Angelo State
319
40-6
6
7
Winona State
300
35-5
8
8
Palm Beach Atlantic
286
30-6
8
9
Lenoir-Rhyne
274
42-7
7
10
Grand Valley State
243
31-7
10
11
California Baptist
232
31-8
12
12
West Texas A&M
226
35-10
11
13
Augustana
193
29-9
16
13
Texas A&M Commerce
193
35-8
14
15
Tarleton State
152
43-8
17
16
Concordia Irvine
138
38-12
RV
17
Illinois Springfield
136
32-13
18
18
UAH
130
31-12
16
19
Dixie State
125
36-8
18
20
Georgia College
72
33-11
25
21
UC San Diego
64
28-13
22
22
West Virginia Wesleyan
45
33-10
RV
23
Embry-Riddle
42
32-13
RV
24
St. Anselm
41
31-9-1
RV
25
McKendree
33
33-14
RV
New to Poll: No. 16 Concordia Irvine, No. 22 West Virginia Wesleyan, No. 23 Embry-Riddle, No. 24 St. Anselm, No. 25 McKendree.
Dropped Out: No. 15 West Florida, No. 19, Saint Leo, No. 20 Indianapolis, No. 21, Arkansas Tech, No. 24 West Chester
Receiving Votes: Washburn (27), Colorado Christian (24), Saint Leo (17), Minnesota Duluth (11), Valdosta State (11), Southern New Hampshire (10), Indianapolis (7), West Chester (5), Arkansas Tech (2), Cameron (1), Limestone (1).
The 2018 NFCA Division II Top 25 Coaches Poll is voted on by 16 NCAA Division II head coaches with two representing each of the eight NCAA regionals. Records reflect games played through April 22, 2018.
Rank Team Record Previous
1 North Georgia (14) 398 49-2 2
2 Chico State (1) 379 43-3 3
3 Colorado Mesa (1) 372 39-3 1
4 Southern Arkansas 347 43-5 4
5 North Alabama 343 40-4 5
6 Angelo State 319 40-6 6
7 Winona State 300 35-5 8
8 Palm Beach Atlantic 286 30-6 8
9 Lenoir-Rhyne 274 42-7 7
10 Grand Valley State 243 31-7 10
11 California Baptist 232 31-8 12
12 West Texas A&M 226 35-10 11
13 Augustana 193 29-9 16
13 Texas A&M Commerce 193 35-8 14
15 Tarleton State 152 43-8 17
16 Concordia Irvine 138 38-12 RV
17 Illinois Springfield 136 32-13 18
18 UAH 130 31-12 23
19 Dixie State 125 36-8 13
20 Georgia College 72 33-11 25
21 UC San Diego 64 28-13 22
22 West Virginia Wesleyan 45 33-10 RV
23 Embry-Riddle 42 32-13 RV
24 St. Anselm 41 31-9-1 RV
25 McKendree 33 33-14 RV