LOUISVILLE, Ky. — DePauw, which went into last season’s NCAA Division III Finals as the top seed, starts 2022 as the unanimous preseason No. 1 in the NFCA Division III Top 25 Coaches Poll.
The (40-5) Tigers return 26 players to a roster that includes NFCA All-America pitcher Cami Henry and tied for third nationally at the NCAAs in Salem, Va.
Meanwhile, Virginia Wesleyan (46-6-1) will start at No. 2 after losing 10 players from last year’s national championship squad, including Schutt Sports/NFCA Pitcher of the Year Hanna Hull, a four-time All-American and three-time Schutt Sports/NFCA Player of the Year, as well as Schutt Sports/NFCA Player of the Year and Diamond Sports/NFCA Catcher of the Year Jessica Goldyn, who was also an All-American. The Marlins return pitcher Emily Seale, who was an All-American last season as a freshman, and All-Region selections Ariana Rolle and Julia Sinnett.
Texas Lutheran (36-6) is ranked third to open 2022. The Bulldogs were the national runner-up last season, losing to Virginia Wesleyan in the NCAA Championship Series, and return a bevy of talent. Together, Texas Lutheran (2019) and Virginia Wesleyan (2017, 2018, 2021) have won the last four NCAA crowns.
East Texas Baptist (33-7) which fell to Birmingham-Southern (33-8) in the 2021 NCAA Marshall Regional, starts one spot ahead of the Panthers in the preseason top five. Birmingham-Southern has a new coaching staff this season after tying for third at the NCAA Finals a year ago.
Other NCAA Finals participants, No. 7 Tufts (21-7), ninth-ranked Rochester (35-10) and 12th-ranked Wisconsin-Oshkosh (29-13) also made the preseason ranking. Tufts and Rochester finished tied for seventh nationally in Salem, while Wisconsin-Oshkosh tied for fifth with St. Thomas, who is now in Division I.
The NFCA Division III Top 25 Coaches Poll is selected by 10 NCAA Division III head coaches representing the 10 NCAA regions. Final 2021 records are listed, with first-place votes in parentheses. The first weekly regular-season poll will be released on March 8.
NFCA Division III Top 25 Softball Coaches Poll – Feb. 8, 2022
|
Rank |
Team |
Points |
2021 Final Record |
2021 Final Ranking |
|
1 |
DePauw (10) |
250 |
40-5 |
3 |
|
2 |
Virginia Wesleyan |
240 |
46-6-1 |
1 |
|
3 |
Texas Lutheran |
230 |
36-6 |
2 |
|
4 |
East Texas Baptist |
220 |
33-7 |
10 |
|
5 |
Birmingham-Southern |
210 |
33-8 |
5 |
|
6 |
Eastern Connecticut State |
200 |
32-4 |
17 |
|
7 |
Tufts |
190 |
21-7 |
T8 |
|
8 |
Salisbury |
180 |
25-9 |
14 |
|
9 |
Rochester |
170 |
35-10 |
T8 |
|
10 |
The College of New Jersey |
160 |
26-5 |
4 |
|
11 |
Milwaukee School of Engineering |
150 |
35-10 |
16 |
|
12 |
Wisconsin-Oshkosh |
140 |
29-13 |
6 |
|
13 |
Mount St. Joseph |
130 |
33-10 |
12 |
|
14 |
Piedmont |
120 |
25-13 |
18 |
|
15 |
St. John Fisher |
110 |
31-7 |
11 |
|
16 |
Trine |
100 |
30-8 |
21 |
|
17 |
Berry |
90 |
25-10 |
15 |
|
18 |
Belhaven |
80 |
31-12 |
19 |
|
19 |
Christopher Newport |
70 |
28-14 |
NR |
|
20 |
Linfield |
60 |
38-9 |
RV |
|
21 |
Millikin |
38 |
31-13 |
NR |
|
22 |
Brandeis |
26 |
14-3 |
RV |
|
23 |
Case Western Reserve |
22 |
27-9 |
NR |
|
24 |
Gettysburg |
17 |
13-5 |
RV |
|
25 |
Alfred |
12 |
32-11 |
24 |
Others receiving votes: Husson 10, Coe 7, Emory 6, Aurora 5, Benedictine 3, Calvin 3, and Babson 1.
