LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Four straight victories over league foe Tarleton State by a combined score of 46-8 helped West Texas A&M (31-4) maintain its iron grip on the top spot in the NFCA Division II softball rankings for the sixth straight week.

The Lady Buffs received 14 of 16 possible first-place votes to outdistance second-ranked Cal Baptist (32-7) by 18 total points. The Lancers held on to two first-place nods from the top 25 committee after a relatively quiet week saw CBU sweep its only two match-ups from Chaminade by scores of 8-2 and 3-1. 

To view the complete NFCA Division II Top 25 poll, please click this LINK.

No. 3 Tampa (27-4) and No. 4 Armstrong Atlantic (26-8) swapped positions in the latest rankings. The Spartans ran their winning skein to 10 consecutive games, via triumphs over Northwestern Ohio, Concordia (MI) and Eckerd, and didn’t allow more than a single tally in each of those 10 wins with six shutouts. The Pirates dropped the single slot after splitting doubleheaders against both GRU Augusta (L 1-4, W 20-0 in 5 inn.) and Georgia College (W 4-0, L 2-7). 

Fifth-ranked St. Mary’s (TX) (36-4) continued inching closer to cracking the national top four as the Rattlers improved their season-best win streak to an impressive 18 games by taking both ends of a doubleheader from Texas Women’s (W 10-7, W 8-0 in 5 inn.) and sweeping a three-game set against Texas-Permian Basin (W 7-0, W 7-1, W 7-0). 

Despite being idle again, Wayne State (MI) (20-4) continued to benefit as the Warriors climbed one position to sixth, while a four-game sweep of Washburn allowed Emporia State to jump from No. 9 to No. 7 in the latest poll. An inactive week did no favors for Humboldt State (28-9), however, as the Jacks dropped two spots to eighth. A sweep of Miles and a series win over rival North Alabama couldn’t keep Alabama-Huntsville (25-6) from losing a little ground as the Chargers fell one rung to ninth, while UMSL (22-3) held steady at No. 10 following its 6-1 effort. 

Former-No. 24-rated Midwestern State (23-13) was the only team to drop out of this week’s rankings after suffering a four-game sweep at the hands of 11th-ranked Angelo State. That exit opened the door for the re-entry of Texas Woman’s (24-12) in the No. 25 position.

The 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.