LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Reigning national champion Trine added four more victories this week to continue rolling atop the NFCA Division III Top 25 Coaches Poll.
The (16-1) Thunder went 4-0 at the Pioneer Classic, including a 5-3 ranked win over host Transylvania. They have now won 12 straight since suffering their only loss of the season, by just one run, 4-3 to nationally-ranked Christopher Newport in a matchup of the last two Division III titlists on March 3 at the NFCA Leadoff Classic.
Second-ranked Salisbury (12-1) went 7-1 at its own Margie Knight Classic, but lost 5-1 to new No. 23 Lynchburg in its tournament opener. The 2023 NCAA runner-up Sea Gulls did rebound to defeat the Hornets 6-5 in their second game and also beat new No. 25 The College of New Jersey at that event.
NFCA Leadoff champion Linfield (10-0) solidified its hold on the third spot by reaching double digits in wins with a home doubleheader sweep of SUNY Oneonta and a four-game road conference sweep of Whitworth back on the West Coast.
No. 4 East Texas Baptist (14-1) held steady with a three-game conference sweep of Concordia, highlighted by Avery Holland’s five-inning no-hitter in the second game of the series. Christopher Newport (11-2) remained fifth despite losing its rivalry game with Virginia Wesleyan, 3-1, which catapulted the (8-3) Marlins from 13th to No. 9 this week.
Berry (21-3), one of two 20-win teams in the rankings, and Case Western (13-2) stayed put at No. 6 and 7, while No. 8 Belhaven (18-3) joined Virginia Wesleyan in gaining four spots. Bethel (11-3) rounds out the top 10.
No. 14 Tufts (6-0) got its season going with six victories in Florida, while 17th-ranked Massachusetts Institute of Technology opens today at home against Brandeis. The other two teams without a loss in this week’s poll are No. 18 Pfeiffer (20-0) and No. 21 Rensselaer (8-0).
One-loss Dominican (15-1), which matched top-ranked Trine with a 4-0 mark at the Pioneer Classic, and Lynchburg are the two newcomers to the rankings.
The NFCA Division III Top 25 Coaches Poll is selected by 10 NCAA Division III head coaches representing the 10 NCAA regions. Current records are listed, with first-place votes in parentheses.
NFCA Division III Top 25 Softball Coaches Poll
March 19, 2024
|
Rank |
Team |
Points |
2024 Record |
Previous |
|
1 |
Trine (10) |
250 |
16-1 |
1 |
|
2 |
Salisbury |
240 |
12-1 |
2 |
|
3 |
Linfield |
230 |
10-0 |
3 |
|
4 |
East Texas Baptist |
220 |
14-1 |
4 |
|
5 |
Christopher Newport |
210 |
11-2 |
5 |
|
6 |
Berry |
200 |
21-3 |
6 |
|
7 |
Case Western Reserve |
190 |
13-2 |
7 |
|
8 |
Belhaven |
180 |
18-3 |
12 |
|
9 |
Virginia Wesleyan |
170 |
8-3 |
13 |
|
10 |
Bethel |
160 |
11-3 |
8 |
|
11 |
Randolph-Macon |
150 |
6-1-1 |
10 |
|
12 |
Transylvania |
140 |
9-4 |
9 |
|
13 |
Rowan |
130 |
11-5 |
11 |
|
14 |
Tufts |
120 |
6-0 |
14 |
|
15 |
Texas Lutheran |
110 |
9-2 |
15 |
|
16 |
Moravian |
100 |
6-3 |
16 |
|
17 |
Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
90 |
0-0 |
17 |
|
T18 |
Pfeiffer |
75 |
20-0 |
18 |
|
T18 |
Huntingdon |
75 |
17-3 |
20 |
|
20 |
Lebanon Valley |
60 |
10-2 |
19 |
|
21 |
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute |
50 |
8-0 |
21 |
|
22 |
Dominican |
32 |
15-1 |
NR |
|
23 |
Lynchburg |
19 |
11-3 |
NR |
|
24 |
Central (Iowa) |
16 |
10-5 |
22 |
|
T25 |
Redlands |
9 |
14-4 |
23 |
|
T25 |
The College of New Jersey |
9 |
9-3 |
NR |
Others receiving votes: Calvin 8, Saint Mary’s (Minn.) 4, Nebraska Wesleyan 2 and SUNY Cortland 1.
Dropped out: Chapman and Rochester.
2024 NFCA Division III Top 25 Committee
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