NFCA Division II Top 25 Final Poll
A week removed from its first softball national title, Lock Haven was tabbed the unanimous No. 1 team in the final NFCA Division II Top 25 Softball Poll of the 2006 season, the association announced Tuesday.
Lock Haven won the title over Emporia State in the championship game. As a result of a stellar season that culminated with national runner-up status, ESU stayed No. 2 in the rankings with a 62-7 final mark.
Florida Southern remained third after tying for third in Salem, Va., while Cal State Bakersfield moved up two places to No. 4. Central Oklahoma jumped into the rankings via its run through the South Central regional and into the NCAA final eight. Georgia College & State jumped five places to sixth, while SIU-Edwardsville dropped three places to seventh.
Humboldt State, the No. 1 team much of the season, stayed in the top 10 at No. 8, while Le Moyne, who surprised many to advance to the national championship tournament, moved into the rankings at No. 9. Alabama-Huntsville used a trip to the regional final to move up seven spots to 10th.
Concorida-St. Paul was another of the 10 newcomers moving into the final rankings, jumping all the way to No. 11 after falling to ESU in the North Central region “if necessary” game. Bloomsburg, who handed Lock Haven its only postseason loss, moved up three places to 12th, while Cal State Dominguez Hills advanced one place to 13th.
Incarnate Word and Northern Kentucky both emerged in the rankings again, coming in at Nos. 14 and 15, respectively. NKU tied for the No. 15 spot with LIU-C.W. Post, who was knocked off by Le Moyne in a rain-shortened Northeast regional.
Lenoir-Rhyne jumped into the poll at No. 17 after taking Georgia College & State 16 innings in the South Atlantic region finale. Shippensburg moved up three places to No. 18, while San Francisco State climbed one spot to 19th.
Another pair of newcomers, Valdosta State and St. Mary’s (Texas), tied for the No. 20 position, while Southern Indiana moved up two places to 22nd after debuting in the final regular season rankings.
Armstrong Atlantic and Augustana (S.D.) earned their first rankings of the year at Nos. 23 and 24, respectively, while Caldwell dropped to No. 25 to round out the poll.
