INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. - - The first NCAA East Regional rankings of the 2013 softball season were released on Wednesday and the Wilmington University team earned its first ranking since the 2007 season, sliding in at No. 10 with a 19-11 in-region record.
The Wildcats (26-16, 13-5 Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference) is one of three CACC teams named in the first poll, with Caldwell topping the charts at No. 1 and Dominican directly in front of Wilmington at No. 9.
Wilmington comes into Thursday's CACC doubleheader against Georgian Court winners of six straight and 14 of their last 16, having only lost to Caldwell who is now 26-0 in the East Region. The Wildcats most recently defeated Chestnut Hill, 14-1 and 10-0, to raise their in-region record to 21-11 overall.
It is the first time since early in the 2007 season, the first year former head coach Erin Harvey took over the program, the Wildcats have been in the Regional Rankings. Back then, the rankings came out weekly as opposed to today's twice a year system. In 2007, the Wildcats returned from their annual trip to Florida with a 7-3 record before running it out to an 18-7 record by early April.
The Wildcats have two home doubleheaders remaining in the 2013 season, first today against Georgian Court before hosting Nyack on Saturday as part of Senior Day. Today's doubleheader is scheduled to start at 3:00 p.m.
AGATE:
NCAA Division II East Region Poll
1. Caldwell – 31-4 (26-0 in-region)
2. New Haven – 26-9 (23-5)
3. LIU Post – 28-9 (22-6)
4. Adelphi – 28-9 (23-5)
5. Molloy – 32-8 (25-5)
6. Dowling – 23-9 (22-8)
7. Southern Connecticut State – 22-14 (22-12)
8. Southern New Hampshire – 18-9 (15-7)
9. Dominican – 18-16 (18-10)
10. Wilmington – 21-15 (19-11)