LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Trine University, which captured its second national championship in three seasons on June 5, finished the year as the unanimous No. 1 team in the NFCA/GoRout Division III Top 25 Coaches Poll, the Association announced on Tuesday.
The (46-5) Thunder swept top finals seed Virginia Wesleyan in the best-of-three Division III championship series, 8-1 and 3-1, at Illinois Wesleyan’s Inspiration Field. It was Trine’s third appearance in the finals in the past four years, resulting in the program’s first-ever national title in 2023 and a runner-up finish to Christopher Newport in 2022.
Trine tied its 2023 school mark for most wins, but accomplished it this season with one fewer loss. The Thunder won their fourth straight Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association championship and defeated Wisconsin-Eau Claire for the NCAA Regional crown and Wisconsin-Stevens Point in the Super Regionals.
Meanwhile, the national runner-up (49-6-1) Marlins led the remaining seven World Series teams who all finished ranked in the top eight. Virginia Wesleyan won its record 16th Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) title and rolled through its first 12 postseason contests before falling to ODAC rival Randolph-Macon, 6-2 on June 1, to force a second game in the double-elimination World Series semifinals to determine who would face Trine in the championship series.
Third-place World Series finishers Linfield (45-7) and Randolph-Macon (42-14) are No. 3 and 4 in the final poll, while fifth-place finishers Rowan (49-4) and Redlands (40-11) wrapped their historic campaigns in fifth and sixth. Saint Mary’s (44-7) and Texas Lutheran (44-5) rank seventh and eighth, while the nation’s top two poll teams heading into NCAA play — East Texas Baptist (43-5) and Christopher Newport (37-6) — round out the top 10.
Among those, Randolph-Macon stands out, gaining 20 poll positions since the last ranking on May 13. The Yellow Jackets beat then-No. 2 Christopher Newport to win their NCAA Regional, and defeated Moravian behind 2025 NFCA Division III Pitcher of the Year Gracie Ellis’ one-hitter (11 strikeouts) in a winner-take-all third game of the Super Regionals to punch their first second-ever ticket to the World Series.
Elsewhere, No. 14 Wisconsin-Stevens Point (31-15), No. 18 Emory (33-14) and No. 22 St. Thomas (34-12) had solid showings in the NCAA tournament to get them all into the final ranking, along with No. 24 Chapman (33-11), who had been receiving votes. Regional finalists Wisconsin-Eau Claire (29-16) and Messiah (35-13), which fell to Trine and Virginia Wesleyan, respectively, got votes in the final poll in recognition of their strong finishes.
The NFCA/GoRout Division III Top 25 Coaches Poll is selected by 10 NCAA Division III head coaches representing the 10 NCAA regions. Final 2025 records are listed, with first-place votes in parentheses.
NFCA/GoRout Division III Top 25 Softball Coaches Poll – June 10, 2025
|
Rank |
Team |
Points |
2025 Record |
Previous |
|
1 |
Trine (10) |
250 |
46-5 |
5 |
|
2 |
Virginia Wesleyan |
240 |
49-6-1 |
3 |
|
3 |
Linfield |
230 |
45-7 |
6 |
|
4 |
Randolph-Macon |
220 |
42-14 |
24 |
|
5 |
Rowan |
210 |
49-4 |
4 |
|
6 |
Redlands |
200 |
40-11 |
11 |
|
7 |
Saint Mary’s (Minn.) |
190 |
44-7 |
7 |
|
8 |
Texas Lutheran |
180 |
44-5 |
9 |
|
9 |
East Texas Baptist |
170 |
43-5 |
1 |
|
10 |
Christopher Newport |
160 |
37-6 |
2 |
|
11 |
Wisconsin-Whitewater |
150 |
39-8 |
15 |
|
12 |
Moravian |
140 |
40-9 |
18 |
|
13 |
Salisbury |
130 |
36-8-1 |
8 |
|
14 |
Wisconsin-Stevens Point |
120 |
31-15 |
NR |
|
15 |
Illinois Wesleyan |
110 |
37-9 |
20 |
|
16 |
WashU |
100 |
34-7 |
10 |
|
17 |
Belhaven |
90 |
32-9 |
T12 |
|
18 |
Emory |
79 |
33-14 |
NR |
|
19 |
Huntingdon |
69 |
38-7 |
T12 |
|
20 |
Gettysburg |
59 |
41-8 |
16 |
|
21 |
Ithaca |
49 |
30-8 |
21 |
|
22 |
St. Thomas (Texas) |
36 |
34-12 |
NR |
|
23 |
Wisconsin-Oshkosh |
27 |
39-8 |
14 |
|
24 |
Chapman |
18 |
33-11 |
RV |
|
25 |
Simpson |
9 |
34-9 |
23 |
Others receiving votes: Case Western Reserve 5, Pfeiffer 4, Wisconsin-Eau Claire 3 and Messiah 2.
Dropped out: Baldwin Wallace, Greenville, Lewis & Clark, Ramapo and Swarthmore.
2025 NFCA Division III Top 25 Committee
The NFCA is the professional organization for fastpitch softball coaches. Known for its highly-regarded coaches polls and All-America awards, the NFCA also educates and supports softball coaches on a variety of different levels: from podcasts to awards, to in-person events and National Convention.
Learn more about the NFCA and consider joining our lineup of over 7,000 coaches today!
