LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Colorado Mesa continued to roll through conference play and enters its fifth straight week at No. 1 in the NFCA Division II Top 25 Coaches Poll. The undefeated Mavericks (34-0) received 14 first-place votes and 398 points, followed by No. 2 North Georgia (2 / 386) and No. 3 Chico State (366). A red-hot Augustana squad enters the poll for the first time this season at No. 16.
CMU swept its sixth four-game Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference series to improve to 24-0 in league play. The Mavericks pitching staff blanked Fort Lewis, not allowing a run over 21 innings in four run-rule victories (8-0, 10-0, 12-0, 12-0)
The second-ranked NightHawks (40-1) are the first NCAA program to reach the 40-wins in 2018. UNG swept two Peach Belt Conference twinbills from Southern Wesleyan (9-1, 11-0) and Lander (7-0, 5-2). Chico State returned to league play with a four-game sweep California Collegiate Athletic Association of Cal State Dominguez Hills (9-1, 14-2, 4-2, 5-2).
Augustana has rebounded from a 1-4 start to the season to win 23 of its last 25, including six straight last week in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference play. Two of those triumphs came in a doubleheader sweep of then-No. 13 Minnesota State (5-4, 8-6).
Palm Beach Atlantic continued to climb, moving to the No. 4 spot. The Sailfish (25-2) added three more victories to their 22-game winning streak. PBA swept RV Embry-Riddle in a tightly contested three-game Sunshine State series, coming out on top in three one-run matchups, including two extra-inning affairs.
No. 5 Southern Arkansas, No. 6 Texas A&M University-Commerce, riding a 15-game winning streak, and No. 8 North Alabama (7-0 last week) all improved their positions in the top-10, while No. 7 Dixie State, No. 9 Winona State and No. 10 Angelo State slipped in the poll.
No. 24 Saint Leo returned after a one-week absence, while University of Alabama in Huntsville and McKendree dropped out.
The 2018 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. Records reflect games played through April 1, 2018.
2018 NFCA Division II
Top 25 Coaches Poll – April 4 (Week 7)
|
Rank |
Team |
Points |
Record |
Previous |
|
1 |
Colorado Mesa (14) |
398 |
34-0 |
1 |
|
2 |
North Georgia (2) |
386 |
40-1 |
2 |
|
3 |
Chico State |
366 |
35-3 |
3 |
|
4 |
Palm Beach Atlantic |
336 |
25-2 |
7 |
|
5 |
Southern Arkansas |
319 |
32-4 |
6 |
|
6 |
Texas A&M Commerce |
315 |
31-3 |
9 |
|
7 |
Dixie State |
297 |
26-4 |
5 |
|
8 |
North Alabama |
291 |
31-4 |
10 |
|
9 |
Winona State |
275 |
26-4 |
8 |
|
10 |
Angelo State |
263 |
30-6 |
4 |
|
11 |
Indianapolis |
226 |
26-6 |
11 |
|
12 |
Lenoir-Rhyne |
217 |
30-5 |
12 |
|
13 |
West Texas A&M |
202 |
29-5 |
14 |
|
14 |
West Florida |
173 |
21-11 |
17 |
|
15 |
Grand Valley State |
160 |
19-5 |
15 |
|
16 |
Augustana |
158 |
24-6 |
RV |
|
17 |
California Baptist |
139 |
22-5 |
24 |
|
18 |
Tarleton State |
118 |
32-7 |
20 |
|
19 |
Harding |
105 |
25-9 |
16 |
|
20 |
Minnesota State |
74 |
22-8 |
13 |
|
21 |
UC San Diego |
71 |
23-10 |
18 |
|
22 |
Queens (N.C.) |
68 |
29-7 |
19 |
|
23 |
Southern New Hampshire |
45 |
20-5 |
21 |
|
24 |
Saint Leo |
43 |
28-10 |
RV |
|
25 |
Sonoma State |
30 |
23-12 |
23 |
New to Poll: No. 16 Augustana, No. 24 Saint Leo
Dropped Out: No. 22 UAH (23-10), No. 25 McKendree (24-9)
Receiving Votes: UAH (27), Valdosta State (25), Embry-Riddle (19), Illinois Springfield (18), Colorado Christian (14), West Chester (9), Concordia Irvine (6), McKendree (5), West Virginia State (2).
The 2018 NFCA Division II Top 25 Coaches Poll is voted on by 16 NCAA Division II head coaches with two representing each of the eight NCAA regionals. Records reflect games played through April 1, 2018.
