Softball to enter NCAA III Tournament ranked No. 24 nationally by National Fastpitch Coaches Association
By Tim Glon
ADA — The Ohio Northern softball team will enter this week's NCAA Division III Tournament ranked No. 24 nationally in the 11th weekly National Fastpitch Coaches Association poll.
The Polar Bears (24-9 overall) received 17 points in the poll.
Ohio Northern qualified for the NCAA Tournament by winning the OAC Tournament last weekend. Northern also won the OAC Regular Season title with a 16-2 record this season.
Christopher Newport (Va.) is the top-ranked team in this week's poll with 250 points and all 10 first-place votes.
Texas Lutheran is second with 240 points and Eastern Connecticut State is third with 230 points.
The Polar Bears will be the No. 4 seed in the Decatur Regional and will face top-seeded Regional host Millikin (Ill.) in their opening game on Friday at 4:30 pm (CDT).
NFCA Coaches Poll
May 9, 2022
| Rank |
School (First Place Votes) | 2022 Record |
Total Points |
Last Week |
| 1. | Christopher Newport (Va.) (10) | 37-1 | 250 | 1 |
| 2. | Texas Lutheran | 38-4 | 240 | 3 |
| 3. | Eastern Connecticut State | 37-4 | 230 | 4 |
| 4. | Salisbury (Md.) | 36-6 | 220 | 2 |
| 5. | Belhaven (Ky.) | 38-6 | 210 | 5 |
| 6. | Linfield (Ore.) | 36-7 | 200 | 7 |
| 7. | East Texas Baptist | 32-10 | 190 | 8 |
| 8. | DePauw (Ind.) | 34-9 | 180 | 6 |
| 9. | Virginia Wesleyan | 33-11 | 170 | 11 |
| 10. | Berry (Ga.) | 29-11 | 160 | 10 |
| 11. | Mary Hardin-Baylor (Tex.) | 32-11 | 150 | 9 |
| 12. | Bethel (Minn.) | 33-4 | 140 | 12 |
| 13. | Roanoke (Va.) | 30-12 | 130 | 15 |
| 14. | Piedmont (Ga.) | 31-9 | 120 | 16 |
| 15. | Birmingham Southern (Ala.) | 32-8 | 110 | 13 |
| 16. | Randolph Macon (Va.) | 32-9 | 100 | 14 |
| 17. | Rowan (N.J.) | 33-8 | 90 | 19 |
| 18. | Concordia (Wis.) | 34-4 | 80 | 20 |
| 19. | Geneseo State (N.Y.) | 34-4 | 70 | 21 |
| 20. | Trine (Ind.) | 27-11 | 60 | 23 |
| 21. | Susquenenna (Pa.) | 27-7 | 50 | 24 |
| 22. | Amherst (Mass.) | 24-7 | 30 | 25 |
| 23. | Babson (Mass.) | 35-8 | 18 | 17 |
| 24. | Ohio Northern | 24-9 | 17 | NR |
| 25. | Case Western Reserve | 26-9 | 14 | t25 |
| Wartburg (Iowa) | 27-12 | 14 | NR |
Others receiving votes: Rochester 4, Illinois Wesleyan 2, WashU 2, and Buena Vista 1.