LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The University of California San Diego softball team has risen to eighth in the nation in this week's edition of the 2019 National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Division II Top 25 Coaches Poll. The poll was released on Wednesday morning and is voted on by 16 head coaches, with two representing each of the eight regions.
This is UC San Diego's first top-10 ranking since the 2013 NFCA Preseason Poll. Coming off of a national runner-up finish with a record of 45-23 in the 2012 season, the Tritons captured second place with 382 points in the 2013 NFCA Preseason Poll.
This week, holding a 25-6 overall record and an 18-5 mark in California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) play, UC San Diego earned 289 points from the NFCA coaches. The Tritons gained three slots since last week's poll, which ties them with Indianapolis for the biggest jump between the two weeks.
The rise comes following an undefeated 5-0 week by the Tritons at the Tournament of Champions in Turlock. Among UC San Diego's victories was a 4-1 win over then-No. 5 Concordia Irvine. The Eagles, who went 2-2 at the tournament, have since fallen to 15th in this week's poll.
UC San Diego excelled in all areas at the tournament. In the pitcher's circle, Dominique Acosta, Alanna Phillips, and Robyn Wampler combined for a 1.80 ERA across the five contests. Wampler, who surrendered only one run across 15.1 innings of work, came away with three wins and a spot on the All-Tournament Team.
The Tritons also fared well at the plate, batting .336 as a team. UC San Diego piled on the extra-base hits, with nine doubles during the tournament. The team currently ranks 18th in the nation, averaging 1.81 doubles per game. A pair of those doubles came from Brittney Ross-Smith, who had a team-best .588 batting average. Like Wampler, Ross-Smith nabbed a spot on the All-Tournament with her performance.
Defensively, the Tritons were nearly flawless. In the five games, UC San Diego only committed a single error.
The Tritons look to keep their seven-game winning streak alive as they head north. The Tritons will face Cal State East Bay at location to be determined. The doubleheaders are slated for 1 p.m. on Friday and 11 a.m. on Saturday, subject to change.
|
Rank
|
School
|
Totals
|
2019 Record
|
Previous Week
|
|
1
|
West Florida (9)
|
387
|
33-5
|
1
|
|
2
|
Central Oklahoma (5)
|
384
|
26-2
|
2
|
|
3
|
North Georgia (2)
|
370
|
32-8
|
3
|
|
4
|
Southern Arkansas
|
355
|
32-6
|
4
|
|
5
|
Texas A&M Kingsville
|
330
|
28-5
|
6
|
|
6
|
Grand Valley State
|
319
|
21-3
|
7
|
|
7
|
UAH
|
294
|
30-9
|
8
|
|
8
|
UC San Diego
|
289
|
25-6
|
11
|
|
9
|
West Texas A&M
|
274
|
24-10
|
9
|
|
10
|
Texas A&M-Commerce
|
242
|
30-9
|
12
|
|
11
|
Florida Tech
|
223
|
28-9
|
10
|
|
12
|
Augustana
|
215
|
26-5
|
14
|
|
13
|
Chico State
|
213
|
22-8
|
13
|
|
14
|
Colorado Mesa
|
195
|
27-6
|
15
|
|
15
|
Concordia Irvine
|
188
|
29-6
|
5
|
|
16
|
Southern New Hampshire
|
162
|
20-4
|
18
|
|
17
|
Indianapolis
|
141
|
26-8
|
20
|
|
18
|
Lincoln Memorial
|
129
|
27-7
|
19
|
|
19
|
Valdosta State
|
109
|
23-11
|
16
|
|
20
|
Wayne State University
|
95
|
20-7
|
17
|
|
21
|
Winona State
|
92
|
21-5
|
23
|
|
22
|
Georgian Court
|
63
|
24-5
|
24
|
|
23
|
Tarleton State
|
49
|
26-8
|
RV
|
|
24
|
Rollins
|
22
|
30-5
|
RV
|
|
25
|
Shepherd
|
12
|
21-5
|
NR
|
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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