LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Unbeaten two-time defending national champion Tufts University continues to be the pacesetter atop the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Division III Top 25 softball rankings.
Tufts (29-0) needed nine innings to win its first game Tuesday against Massachusetts Institute of Technology, but extended its victory streak to 31 and holds the No. 1 spot for the 10th week this season and 13th consecutive week. The Jumbos have now won 62 of their last 63 and have received every first-place vote going back to last April. They have been ranked first in 14 of the last 17 polls and 19 of the last 23.
Texas-Tyler (34-1) and East Texas Baptist (28-2) have each won 14 straight games to continue unanimously in the second and third spots, while Luther (32-2) and Virginia Wesleyan (28-4) round out an unchanged first five.
Trine (31-2) won its 12th straight game to move up one place to sixth, while No. 7 Rowan (30-4) has captured four of its last six to gain two more places in the ranking this week.
Emory (28-6) moves up three spots to No. 8, while last year’s Division III runner-up Salisbury (26-6) won three Capital Athletic Conference tournament games before falling to No. 13 Christopher Newport (27-7) in the final, but slipped two places into a tie with North Central (Ill.) for ninth.
No. 12 Washington University (29-9), No. 15 St. Thomas (28-8) and No. 16 Texas Lutheran (33-4), which has now won 30 consecutive games, join Emory and Christopher Newport as the biggest gainers this week, all five moving up three spots. Meanwhile, Averett (34-3-1) went 2-2 this past week to drop seven places to No. 20 and Louisiana College (25-8), which swept Mary Hardin-Baylor on Tuesday after losing three straight at East Texas Baptist, plummeted five spots to No. 21.
Heidelberg (25-7) joins the rankings at No. 24, while Moravian (24-4), Berry (29-6) and Eastern Connecticut State (21-4-1) all received votes along with Williams (23-5), which had dropped out last week.
Augustana (Ill.), Kean, Oneonta and Rochester are the four teams out this week.
The NFCA Division III Top 25 Poll is selected by eight NCAA Division III head coaches representing the eight NCAA regions. Current records are listed, with first-place votes in parentheses.
For the complete poll, click HERE
