Ithaca and Fisher Ranked in Top 25
The National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) released its weekly Division III poll and two Empire 8 softball teams are ranked in the Top 25. Ithaca College dropped two spots to No. 23 after making its first appearance in the poll last week. St. John Fisher College continues to be ranked but dropped four spots to No. 24.
The Cardinals are slated to host the Bombers on Sunday, April 24.
The NFCA Division III Top 25 Poll is selected by Division III head coaches representing the eight NCAA regions. Records through Sunday’s games (April 17) are listed, with first-place votes in parentheses.
NFCA Division III Top 25 Poll – April 20, 2016
|
Rank
|
Team
|
2016 Record
|
Points
|
Previous
|
|
1
|
Texas-Tyler (8)
|
34-2
|
200
|
1
|
|
2
|
Luther
|
29-1
|
192
|
2
|
|
3
|
Texas Lutheran
|
37-2
|
184
|
3
|
|
4
|
Virginia Wesleyan
|
32-5
|
176
|
4
|
|
5
|
Salisbury
|
31-4
|
168
|
5
|
|
6
|
Birmingham-Southern
|
34-6
|
160
|
6
|
|
7
|
Claremont-Mudd-Scripps
|
26-6-1
|
152
|
7
|
|
8
|
Christopher Newport
|
32-5
|
144
|
9
|
|
9
|
Berry
|
32-6
|
130
|
11
|
|
10
|
Emory
|
36-4
|
118
|
10
|
|
11
|
Illinois Wesleyan
|
23-5
|
116
|
8
|
|
12
|
Alma
|
24-6
|
108
|
12
|
|
13
|
St. Thomas (Minn.)
|
26-4
|
102
|
15
|
|
14
|
East Texas Baptist
|
29-7
|
100
|
13
|
|
15
|
Rowan
|
25-7
|
86
|
14
|
|
16
|
Messiah
|
26-3
|
74
|
16
|
|
17
|
St. Catherine
|
23-4
|
69
|
17
|
|
18
|
Washington (Mo.)
|
32-8
|
66
|
18
|
|
19
|
Moravian
|
25-3
|
63
|
19
|
|
20
|
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
|
23-5
|
58
|
22
|
|
21
|
Otterbein
|
25-3-1
|
32
|
NR
|
|
22
|
Manhattanville
|
25-1
|
31
|
23
|
|
23
|
Ithaca
|
20-6
|
29
|
21
|
|
24
|
St. John Fisher
|
23-5
|
14
|
20
|
|
25
|
Wittenberg
|
23-4-1
|
10
|
NR
|
Others receiving votes: Wis.-Oshkosh 6, Wheaton (Ill.) 5, Cortland 5 and Williams 2.
Dropped out: Central (Iowa), Heidelberg, Simpson, Wheaton (Ill.) and Whitworth.