Ithaca and Fisher Move up in NFCA Poll
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 jumped four spots to No. 19, marking the third straight week in the top 25. St. John Fisher College continues to be ranked and moved up two spots to No. 22.
The Bombers and Cardinals split its double header on Sunday, April 24 as Ithaca clinched the top seed in the upcoming Empire 8 Championship and earned home field advantage. Fisher snapped Ithaca's 10-game winning streak in the opening game with a 1-0 final. After struggling to get anything going in the first game, the Bombers' bats would come to life in the second game as Ithaca ripped four homeruns and never looked back en route to a 7-0 win.
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 24) are listed, with first-place votes in parentheses.
NFCA Division III Top 25 Poll – April 27, 2016
|
Rank
|
Team
|
2016 Record
|
Points
|
Previous
|
|
1
|
Texas-Tyler (8)
|
37-2
|
200
|
1
|
|
2
|
Salisbury
|
34-4
|
192
|
5
|
|
3
|
Virginia Wesleyan
|
34-5
|
184
|
4
|
|
T4
|
Berry
|
36-6
|
168
|
9
|
|
|
Texas Lutheran
|
41-3
|
168
|
3
|
|
6
|
Luther
|
32-2
|
166
|
2
|
|
7
|
Birmingham-Southern
|
36-8
|
142
|
6
|
|
8
|
Claremont-Mudd-Scripps
|
28-7-1
|
130
|
7
|
|
9
|
Emory
|
40-4
|
127
|
10
|
|
10
|
Christopher Newport
|
34-7
|
125
|
8
|
|
11
|
Alma
|
26-6
|
122
|
12
|
|
12
|
Illinois Wesleyan
|
26-6
|
115
|
11
|
|
13
|
Messiah
|
32-3
|
106
|
16
|
|
14
|
Rowan
|
29-7
|
101
|
15
|
|
15
|
St. Catherine
|
25-4
|
90
|
17
|
|
16
|
St. Thomas (Minn.)
|
29-5
|
80
|
13
|
|
17
|
East Texas Baptist
|
31-8
|
71
|
14
|
|
18
|
Moravian
|
29-3
|
59
|
19
|
|
19
|
Ithaca
|
27-7
|
44
|
23
|
|
20
|
Otterbein
|
28-4-2
|
37
|
21
|
|
21
|
Manhattanville
|
32-2
|
35
|
22
|
|
22
|
St. John Fisher
|
30-6
|
30
|
24
|
|
23
|
Williams
|
26-8
|
27
|
RV
|
|
24
|
Washington (Mo.)
|
32-10
|
19
|
18
|
|
25
|
Linfield
|
29-13
|
18
|
NR
|
Others receiving votes: Wheaton (Ill.) 16, Whitworth 7, Wis.-Oshkosh 5, Tufts 4, Worcester Polytechnic Institute 2.