Softball ranked No. 25 in tenth weekly National Fastpitch Coaches Association Poll
ADA — The Ohio Northern softball team cracked into the National Fastpitch Coaches Association Division III poll on Wednesday evening.
The Polar Bears (23-8 overall, 13-2 Ohio Athletic Conference) are ranked No. 25 in the tenth weekly poll.
Northern received 20 points, which is four more than the 16 points it received last week.
ONU had received votes in each of the three previous polls and have now been nationally ranked in four consecutive seasons.
Emory (Ga.) moved up two spots in the poll and is now No. 1 with 195 points and six first place votes. Eastern Connecticut State is second with 189 points and one first place vote and Linfield (Ore.) is No. 3 with 181 points.
The Polar Bears clinched their fourth consecutive OAC Regular Season title and will host the 2012 OAC Tournament as the No. 1 seed on May 4-5 at the ONU Softball Field.
ONU will wrap up its regular season on Saturday with a double header at Muskingum.
NFCA Division III Coaches Poll - #10
April 25, 2012
| Rank | School | Record | Points | Previous |
| 1. | Emory (Ga.) (6) | 31-3 | 195 | 2 |
| 2. | Eastern Connecticut State (1) | 31-1 | 199 | 3 |
| 3. | Linfield (Ore.) | 38-5 | 181 | 1 |
| 4. | Luther (Iowa) | 30-4 | 178 | 4 |
| 5. | Pacific Lutheran (Wash.) (1) | 36-11 | 177 | 5 |
| 6. | Central (Iowa) | 28-6 | 156 | 6 |
| 7. | Illinois Wesleyan | 29-4 | 154 | 7 |
| 8. | Tufts (Conn.) | 28-4 | 132 | 9 |
| 9. | Texas-Tyler | 29-7 | 131 | 8 |
| 10. | Christopher Newport (Va.) | 34-9 | 108 | 12 |
| 11. | Cortland State (N.Y.) | 30-6 | 107 | 10 |
| 12. | Montclair State (N.J.) | 32-4 | 101 | 11 |
| 13. | Redlands (Calif.) | 29-9 | 936 | 13 |
| 14. | Wisconsin-Whitewater | 26-6 | 95 | 15 |
| 15. | Trine (Ind.) | 30-6 | 90 | 16 |
| 16. | Saint Thomas (Minn.) | 28-6 | 86 | 18 |
| 17. | Rowan (N.J.) | 29-6 | 80 | 14 |
| 18. | Salisbury (Md.) | 34-5 | 81 | 17 |
| 19. | Carthage (Wis.) | 30-4 | 48 | 24 |
| 20. | Coe (Iowa) | 27-9 | 46 | 21 |
| 21. | William Patterson (N.J.) | 26-8 | 32 | 20 |
| 22. | Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (Calif.) | 25-11 | 28 | 22 |
| 23. | Bridgewater (Va.) | 30-8 | 27 | 19 |
| 24. | Amherst (Mass.) | 31-1 | 23 | 23 |
| 25. | Ohio Northern | 22-8 | 20 | NR |
Others Receiving Votes: Wisconsin-Eau Claire (11); Plattsburgh State (7); Washington-St. Louis (3); five others received votes but appeared on only one ballot.