LOUISVILLE, KY. – The University of Texas at Tyler softball program will enter their first appearance in the NCAA Division II National Tournament as the unanimous no. 1 team in the 2022 NFCA Division II Top 25 Coaches Poll.
The Patriots received all 16 first-place votes and 400 points to appear as the unanimous no. 1 team for the fifth straight week of the poll and wrapped up a 1-1 weekend in the 2022 Lone Star Conference Softball Championship last weekend. UT Tyler clinched the 2022 Lone Star Conference Softball Regular Season Championship, their second consecutive regular season title in the program's first two seasons competing in the league, and were selected as the no. 1 seed in the NCAA Division II South Central Regional Tournament.
UT Tyler will welcome no. 7 Angelo State, no. 16 Lubbock Christian and RV Colorado Christian to the UT Tyler Ballpark for the four-team bracket on Thursday, Friday and Saturday of this week.
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.
UT Tyler has now appeared in the top spot of the national rankings in 13 out of the 14 regular season polls in 2022, and have unanimously sat atop the poll in eight of those weeks. The Patriots are 10-5 on the year in games against nationally-ranked foes.
Six Lone Star Conference teams received a top-15 ranking entering the national tournament this weekend, including no. 2 Texas A&M-Kingsville and no. 7 Angelo State within the top 10. Texas A&M-Commerce (no . 14), Lubbock Christian (no. 16) and Oklahoma Christian (no. 19) rounded out the LSC teams in the top 25 of the rankings, and all received a spot in the South Central Regional Tournament as well.
UT Tyler will take on no. 8 seeded Colorado Christian in game one of the tournament on Thursday afternoon, a meeting scheduled for a noon start.
2022 NFCA DIVISION II TOP 25 SOFTBALL COACHES POLL
May 10 (Week 13)
|
Rank
|
School
|
Points
|
2022 Record
|
Prev. Ranking
|
|
1
|
UT Tyler (16)
|
400
|
41-5
|
1
|
|
2
|
Texas A&M-Kingsville
|
379
|
45-9
|
2
|
|
3
|
Auburn Montgomery
|
367
|
43-9
|
4
|
|
4
|
Rogers State
|
351
|
47-9
|
6
|
|
5
|
Indianapolis
|
340
|
47-8
|
3
|
|
6
|
Tampa
|
305
|
35-11
|
8
|
|
7
|
Angelo State
|
290
|
38-10
|
7
|
|
8
|
Central Oklahoma
|
286
|
45-10
|
5
|
|
9
|
Augustana
|
253
|
46-7
|
11
|
|
10
|
Southern Indiana
|
249
|
43-10
|
15
|
|
11
|
Cal State San Marcos
|
242
|
40-11
|
9
|
|
12
|
Valdosta State
|
233
|
34-11
|
10
|
|
13
|
Concordia Irvine
|
214
|
43-8
|
12
|
|
14
|
Texas A&M-Commerce
|
190
|
42-13
|
18
|
|
15
|
Anderson
|
165
|
38-8
|
16
|
|
16
|
Lubbock Christian
|
157
|
37-10
|
13
|
|
17
|
Minnesota State
|
152
|
44-12
|
14
|
|
18
|
North Georgia
|
128
|
40-15
|
17
|
|
19
|
Oklahoma Christian
|
110
|
39-13
|
19
|
|
20
|
Kutztown
|
86
|
37-13
|
24
|
|
21
|
Grand Valley State
|
83
|
40-6
|
21
|
|
22
|
Adelphi
|
80
|
41-11
|
22
|
|
23
|
Washburn
|
55
|
45-13
|
23
|
|
24
|
UAH
|
25
|
38-15
|
|
|
25
|
Lenoir-Rhyne
|
20
|
37-14
|
25
|
New to Poll: No. 24 UAH
Dropped Out: No. 20 West Florida
Receiving Votes: Nova Southeastern (16), St. Mary's (11), Chico State (3), Lincoln Memorial (3), Carson-Newman (2), Seton Hill (2), Sonoma State (2), Colorado Christian (1).
