LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The University of California San Diego softball team ranks 23rd in the 2019 National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Division II Top 25 Preseason Poll, which was released on Wednesday morning. The poll was voted on by 16 NCAA Division II head coaches, with two from each of the eight regions.
The Tritons, who finished the 2018 season with a 36-19 record and a trip to the NCAA West 1 Regional, received 60 points from the coaches. They follow closely behind Valdosta State (41-11), who holds the 22nd slot with 61 points. Reigning national champion Southern Indiana (41-23) was picked to finish first, garnering 400 points.
UC San Diego was one of two California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) members to earn a spot in the poll. Chico State (55-6) sits in seventh place with 320 points. On Monday, the two teams were selected to finish in the top two spots of the 2019 CCAA Softball Preseason Coaches' Poll, with Chico State in first and UC San Diego in second.
The Tritons finished the 2018 season receiving votes in the NFCA Division II Top 25 Poll. Since then, UC San Diego has been gearing up for the 2019 season. The Tritons have returned pitching phenom and CCAA Freshman of the Year Robyn Wampler, who boasted a 1.81 ERA in her first season. On Friday, Wampler was named to the Fastpitch News Preseason All-America Second Team. The Tritons have also retained two of their three batting average leaders, with Sherriah Harrington (.410) and Maddy Lewis (.358) ready for another strong offensive season.
UC San Diego also added seven first-year Tritons, who will be looking to make an impact in 2019. The season is quickly approaching, with the Tritons' season opener taking place on Friday afternoon. UC San Diego will begin its season at the Desert Stinger Softball Tournament in Las Vegas, facing Concordia University (Ore.) at 4:30 p.m. on Friday.
|
Rank
|
School
|
Totals
|
2018 Record
|
2018 Final Ranking
|
|
1
|
Southern Indiana (16)
|
400
|
41-23
|
1
|
|
2
|
Southern Arkansas
|
363
|
60-11
|
3
|
|
3
|
North Georgia
|
354
|
62-4
|
5
|
|
4
|
Saint Anselm
|
353
|
44-13-1
|
2
|
|
5
|
Saint Leo
|
341
|
39-18
|
4
|
|
6
|
Angelo State
|
330
|
53-9
|
6
|
|
7
|
Chico State
|
320
|
55-6
|
7
|
|
8
|
West Chester
|
274
|
45-15
|
8
|
|
9
|
Texas A&M Commerce
|
266
|
42-12
|
9
|
|
10
|
Concordia Irvine
|
239
|
46-14
|
10
|
|
11
|
UAH
|
236
|
39-18
|
11
|
|
12
|
Illinois-Springfield
|
211
|
40-19
|
12
|
|
13
|
Young Harris
|
194
|
35-21
|
14
|
|
14
|
Tarleton State
|
187
|
50-11
|
20
|
|
15
|
Winona State
|
182
|
45-7
|
19
|
|
16
|
Grand Valley State
|
151
|
44-9
|
17
|
|
17
|
Dixie State
|
136
|
42-10
|
13
|
|
18
|
Palm Beach Atlantic
|
123
|
36-8
|
22
|
|
19
|
Lenoir-Rhyne
|
109
|
45-10
|
21
|
|
20
|
Arkansas Tech
|
88
|
39-17
|
NR
|
|
21
|
Colorado Mesa
|
82
|
48-5
|
16
|
|
22
|
Valdosta State
|
61
|
41-11
|
RV
|
|
23
|
UC San Diego
|
60
|
36-19
|
RV
|
|
24
|
Gannon
|
49
|
32-15
|
24
|
|
25
|
Augustana
|
46
|
42-15
|
RV
|
About UC San Diego Athletics
With 30 national team championships, nearly 150 individual titles and the top student-athlete graduation rate among Division II institutions in the United States, the UC San Diego intercollegiate athletics program annually ranks as one of the most successful in the country. The Tritons sponsor 23 intercollegiate sport programs that compete on the NCAA Division I and II levels and, in summer 2020, will transition into full Division I status as a member of the Big West Conference. UC San Diego student-athletes exemplify the academic ideals of one of the world's preeminent institutions, graduating at an average rate of 91 percent. A total of 80 Tritons have earned Academic All-America honors, while 36 have earned prestigious NCAA Post Graduate Scholarships. In competition, more than 1,300 UC San Diego student-athletes have earned All-America honors.
Follow The Tritons
For complete coverage and information regarding UC San Diego Athletics, follow the Tritons online at UCSDtritons.com and through social media on Twitter (@ucsdtritons), Instagram (@ucsdtritons) and Facebook (ucsdtritons).
