Saints Ranked No. 1 for 7th Consecutive Week
STARKVILLE, MS – For the sixth straight week, the
North Georgia softball team garnered all 16 first-place votes in
the latest NFCA Division II Top 25 poll released on Wednesday
afternoon and has now earned the No. 1 ranking in each of the seven
regular-season polls thus far in the season.
The Saints currently sit at 39-0 overall on the year and 18-0 in
the Peach Belt Conference as the squad is just hours away from
hosting Lander University for a chance to surpass a series of
national records.
A pair of victories over the Bearcats will give North Georgia a
41-game winning streak, which will be longest in the history of the
Peach Belt Conference, and second longest streak in NCAA Division
II history. A sweep would also push the Saints record to 20-0 in
league action would set the PBC mark for most conference wins in
the league’s 20 year history.
The Hawaii Pacific Sea Warriors achieved their highest ranking of
the season the week by ascending to the No. 2 spot and edging out
Valdosta State, who dropped from second to third.
Emporia State rose from seventh to fourth in this week’s
rankings, while Metro State also came in at fourth to round out the
top five.
Just three teams fell out of the poll this week with No. 15 Winona
State, No. 22 West Chester and No. 24 Minnesota St. Mankato all
making their respective exits from the rankings.
Entering the rankings this week were three teams, all of whom had
been ranked at some point earlier this season. No. 19 Grand Canyon
and No. 24 Kutztown return to the poll after sitting out one and
two weeks, respectively, while No. 19 California (PA) makes its
first appearance in the rankings since March 3.
Following North Georgia’s doubleheader against Lander, the
Saints will load a bus on Thursday morning on their to the 2010
Peach Belt Conference softball tournament host by Francis Marion
University in Florence, South Carolina. North Georgia is the
defending tournament champion and will look to repeat for the first
time in school history.
The NFCA Division II Top 25 is voted on by 16 NCAA Division II head
coaches, two representing each of the eight NCAA regions.
