SAU Sports Information
For the sixth-straight week, the SAU softball team holds a Top 5 ranking in the National Fastpitch Coaches Association DII Top-25 Coaches Poll.
The latest edition of the weekly rankings placed the Lady Muleriders at No. 3 in the country, up one spot from last week.
The Lady Muleriders (25-3, 15-1 GAC), are currently enjoying a seven-game winning streak after sweeping a four-game road set at Southwestern Oklahoma State.
Southern Arkansas is 7-1 at home this season and beginning this weekend faces a ten-game home stand that stretches into early April.
Angelo State (30-2) takes up the top spot in this week's poll after having engineered a 26-game win streak this season and also claimed 14 of the 16 first-place votes.
North Georgia (27-7) moves up a spot to No. 2 in the country, while Humboldt State (21-4), claimed the remaining two first-place votes, but slid to No. 4 in the nation behind SAU after having dropped three of four games at Cal State San Bernardino.
No. 5 Valdosta State (24-6) moved back into the top five, while No. 6 St. Mary's (20-6) jumped a pair of spots and Chico State (17-4) remained No. 7.
Three new teams joined the poll's top 10 as Saint Leo (25-7), Pfeiffer (27-3), and Indianapolis (21-5) filled the No. 8 through No. 10 spots, respectively.
Indianapolis moved 10en spots after being ranked No. 20 in the country last week.
Harding (25-3, 15-1 GAC) climbed five spots to No. 11 in the nation after a dominate four-game sweep of Oklahoma Baptist.
The NFCA Division II Top 25 Poll is voted on by 16 NCAA Division II head coaches with two representing each of the eight NCAA regions.
Southern Arkansas owns the GAC's top team batting average with a clip of .347. SAU ranks third in the GAC in team-ERA (2.21) and sixth in fielding percentage (.960).
SAU is currently tied atop the Great American Conference standings with No. 11 Harding as both teams own 25-3 records overall and a 15-1 mark in league play.
The Lady Muleriders are back at Dawson Field inside the Mulerider Softball Complex this weekend against Northwestern Oklahoma State.
The threat of inclement weather in the Magnolia area on Friday has prompted the four-game softball series to be move to Saturday and Sunday.
Saturday's doubleheder start at 4 p.m. and Sunday's games at noon.
NCAA D-II Top 25
1........................Angelo State
2....................North Georgia
3.............Southern Arkansas
4.................Humboldt State
5......................Valdosta State
6.............................St. Mary's
7...........................Chico State
8..............................Saint Leo
9..................................Pfeiffer
10.......................Indianapolis
11................................Harding
12..............West Texas A&M
13............West Va.-Wesleyan
14..............Southern Indiana
15.....................Lenoir-Rhyne
16............Central Oklahoma
17...................................Tampa
18..Cal State Monterey Bay
19........................Wayne State
20.........................Dixie State
21.........So. New Hampshire
22..........................Limestone
23...............Minnesota State
24.................Colorado Mesa
25............Missouri-St. Louis
GAC standings
SAU......................25-3, 15-1
Harding...............25-3, 15-1
Ark. Tech.........18-10, 12-4
UAM...................16-10, 9-5
East Central.......17-11, 8-8
HSU....................14-14, 8-8
SE Okla...............12-12, 6-8
OBU.....................11-17, 5-11
NW Okla.............7-21, 5-11
SW Okla.........10-14, 4-10
So. Nazarene....7-19, 4-12
Okla. Baptist......8-14, 1-3