LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Salisbury lost the final game of its six-game road trip, but kept rolling along as the unanimous No. 1 choice of voters for a third-straight week atop the NFCA Division III Top 25 Coaches Poll.
The (22-2) Sea Gulls swept doubleheaders at Roanoke and No. 16 Lynchburg before splitting at Randolph. The two victories at Lynchburg were the third and fourth meetings with the (11-7) Hornets in less than a week. Lynchburg had dealt Salisbury its first loss of the season in a twinbill split at Sea Gull Softball Stadium on March 18.
Christopher Newport (13-3), Trine (12-2) and Texas Lutheran (19-3) made up the rest of an unchanged top four, with just the No. 4 Bulldogs dropping a game over the last week. Berry (22-4) returned to the fifth spot on the strength of four wins, after falling three places to eighth following a stumble the previous week.
Tufts (14-1) lost only once in a daunting 11-game week at The Spring Games to surge three places to No. 10. The Jumbos won three games over that stretch against teams ranked in the Top 25 or receiving votes.
East Texas Baptist (18-4) got back on track Monday with a home sweep of DePauw, after being swept in a three-game conference series at previously-ranked Mary-Hardin Baylor (14-8) over the weekend.
Lynchburg held onto its No. 16 position with its second top-10 split in the last two weeks, winning the nightcap with sixth-ranked Virginia Wesleyan on Sunday. Five of the Hornets’ seven losses this season have been to ranked teams.
The NFCA Division III Top 25 Coaches Poll is selected by 10 NCAA Division III head coaches representing the 10 NCAA regions. Current 2023 records are listed, with first-place votes in parentheses. Weekly polls continue through May 16. A final poll will be released on June 13 following completion of the national championship.
NFCA Division III Top 25 Softball Coaches Poll
|
Rank |
Team |
Points |
2023 Record |
Previous |
|
1 |
Salisbury (10) |
250 |
22-2 |
1 |
|
2 |
Christopher Newport |
240 |
13-3 |
2 |
|
3 |
Trine |
230 |
12-2 |
3 |
|
4 |
Texas Lutheran |
220 |
19-3 |
4 |
|
5 |
Berry |
210 |
22-4 |
8 |
|
6 |
Virginia Wesleyan |
200 |
15-5 |
6 |
|
7 |
Linfield |
190 |
18-2 |
9 |
|
8 |
Case Western Reserve |
180 |
15-2 |
5 |
|
9 |
Randolph-Macon |
170 |
14-4 |
10 |
|
10 |
Tufts |
160 |
14-1 |
13 |
|
11 |
Bethel |
150 |
11-3 |
11 |
|
12 |
East Texas Baptist |
140 |
18-4 |
7 |
|
13 |
Pfeiffer |
130 |
14-8 |
12 |
|
14 |
Saint Benedict (Minn.) |
120 |
9-1 |
14 |
|
15 |
Rowan |
110 |
16-2 |
15 |
|
16 |
Lynchburg |
100 |
11-7 |
16 |
|
17 |
Transylvania |
90 |
14-7 |
17 |
|
18 |
Birmingham-Southern |
80 |
19-5 |
18 |
|
19 |
Central (Iowa) |
70 |
15-3 |
19 |
|
20 |
Concordia (Wis.) |
60 |
11-3 |
20 |
|
21 |
Hardin-Simmons |
50 |
18-3 |
21 |
|
22 |
Wisconsin-Oshkosh |
30 |
17-1 |
24 |
|
23 |
Coe |
20 |
13-3 |
23 |
|
24 |
Mary Hardin-Baylor |
13 |
14-8 |
NR |
|
25 |
Pacific Lutheran |
12 |
17-7 |
NR |
Others receiving votes: Luther 9, Huntingdon 5, Belhaven 3, Brandeis 2, Rochester 2, Amherst 1, Emory 1, Piedmont 1, Ramapo 1.
Dropped out: Millikin, St. John Fisher and WashU.
2023 NFCA Division III Top 25 Committee
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