LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The University of California San Diego softball team has risen to 17th in the first regular season 2019 National Fastpitch Coaches Association Division II Top 25 Coaches Poll. The poll was announced on Wednesday morning and is voted on by 16 head coaches, with two from each of the eight regions.
UC San Diego was previously ranked 23rd in the NFCA's preseason poll, which was released on Jan. 30. Since then, the Tritons have jumped out to 9-2 to open the season, with a 7-1 record in California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) action.
Pitching has been a major factor in the Tritons' hot start to the season. Robyn Wampler's ERA of 0.35 across 40.1 innings pitched leads the conference, and she has earned back-to-back CCAA Pitcher of the Week accolades for her accomplishments. UC San Diego has taken home the award all three weeks this season, as Alanna Phillips won it for her performance at the Desert Stinger Tournament during week one.
At the plate, Brittney Ross-Smith's nine RBIs tie her for second in the conference. Maddy Lewis' 10 runs scored are also second best among CCAA players. Both Lewis and Ross-Smith have been perfect in the infield this season, with no errors from either player. As a team, the Tritons have compiled a .330 batting average and a fielding percentage of .969.
The Tritons are joined in the poll by fellow CCAA teams Chico State and Cal State Bernardino. Chico State, who was previously ranked seventh in the preseason poll, moved up a slot to sixth place with a record of 6-1. Cal State San Bernardino was not ranked in the preseason poll. The Coyotes' 7-0 start earned them 21st.
UC San Diego plays its first conference road games in Turlock this weekend. The Tritons will face the Stanislaus State Warriors for doubleheaders at 3 p.m. on Friday and 11 a.m. on Saturday.
|
Rank
|
School
|
Totals
|
2019 Record
|
Previous Week
|
|
1
|
Angelo State (8)
|
381
|
13-1
|
6
|
|
2
|
Saint Anselm (4)
|
374
|
5-0
|
4
|
|
3
|
North Georgia (3)
|
356
|
12-3
|
3
|
|
4
|
Southern Arkansas (1)
|
348
|
9-3
|
2
|
|
5
|
Texas A&M-Commerce
|
336
|
12-1
|
9
|
|
6
|
Chico State
|
321
|
6-1
|
7
|
|
7
|
Valdosta State
|
303
|
10-2
|
22
|
|
8
|
Tarleton State
|
283
|
11-2
|
14
|
|
9
|
Concordia Irvine
|
279
|
4-1
|
10
|
|
10
|
West Florida
|
244
|
13-1
|
NR
|
|
11
|
Carson-Newman
|
230
|
9-0
|
NR
|
|
12
|
Illinois-Springfield
|
222
|
6-2
|
12
|
|
13
|
Dixie State
|
191
|
6-1
|
17
|
|
14
|
Florida Tech
|
183
|
10-2
|
NR
|
|
15
|
Winona State
|
176
|
0-0
|
15
|
|
16
|
Grand Valley State
|
160
|
0-0
|
16
|
|
17
|
UC San Diego
|
147
|
9-2
|
23
|
|
18
|
Young Harris
|
144
|
7-3
|
13
|
|
19
|
Central Oklahoma
|
128
|
13-1
|
NR
|
|
20
|
UAH
|
80
|
10-5
|
11
|
|
21
|
Cal State San Bernardino
|
72
|
7-0
|
NR
|
|
22
|
Colorado Mesa
|
56
|
7-3
|
21
|
|
23
|
Southern New Hampshire
|
50
|
5-1
|
RV
|
|
24
|
Gannon
|
32
|
0-0
|
24
|
|
25
|
Augustana
|
31
|
5-3
|
25
|
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.
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