Uncategorized

No change among top four in NFCA Division III rankings

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Repeat national champion Virginia Wesleyan University continues to lead the pack in an unchanged first four in this week’s NFCA Division III Top 25.

The (5-0) Marlins won three games at the Mountain Mash in Salem, Va., to maintain their unanimous top spot in the coaches’ poll for a 23rd-straight week. They have now won 66 of their last 69 games.

Right behind Virginia Wesleyan is last season’s national runner-up, Illinois Wesleyan, which gets its season going against Catholic next Tuesday at The Spring Games in Florida. Fellow national finalist Ithaca (0-0) continues to be No. 3, while St. Thomas (6-0) won twice on Sunday to remain unbeaten and maintain the fourth spot.

East Texas Baptist (16-0) won four games last week and swept a doubleheader from Oneonta on Tuesday to move up two places to No. 6, just behind Massachusetts Institute of Technology (0-0) in fifth.

New this week is a familiar team to longtime followers of the poll — Claremont-Mudd-Scripps — which is off to a 7-2 start, while Transylvania (2-0) and Wisconsin-Eau Claire (4-0) are the two other new teams at 23rd and 24th, respectively. Salisbury (7-1) and Calvin (0-0) also joined the Top 25 after receiving votes last week.

The NFCA Division III Top 25 Poll is selected by eight NCAA Division III head coaches representing the eight NCAA regions. Current 2019 records are listed, with first-place votes in parentheses.

NFCA Division III Top 25 Poll – March 6, 2019

Rank

Team

2019 Record

Points

Previous

1

Virginia Wesleyan (8)

5-0

200

1

2

Illinois Wesleyan

0-0

192

2

3

Ithaca

0-0

184

3

4

St. Thomas (Minn.)

6-0

176

4

5

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

0-0

168

6

6

East Texas Baptist

16-0

160

8

7

Berry

5-0

139

9

8

Christopher Newport

3-1

136

T13

9

Coe

7-0

128

17

10

Williams

0-0

121

12

11

Wisconsin-Whitewater

0-0

113

T13

12

Rowan

1-1

100

5

13

Linfield

6-1-1

98

15

14

Pomona-Pitzer

7-2-1

83

11

T15

Central (Iowa)

0-0

82

18

T15

Claremont-Mudd-Scripps

7-2

82

NR

17

Salisbury

7-1

65

RV

18

Rhodes

11-1

63

20

19

Wisconsin-Oshkosh

3-1

50

19

20

Saint Benedict (Minn.)

5-1

44

T22

21

Manhattanville

0-0

28

21

22

Randolph-Macon

4-2

26

10

23

Transylvania

2-0

22

NR

24

Wisconsin-Eau Claire

4-0

18

NR

T25

Calvin

0-0

17

RV

T25

Luther

4-2

17

16

Others receiving votes: Lynchburg 15, Wisconsin-Stout 14, Geneseo 13, Pacific 12, The College of New Jersey 12, St. John Fisher 10, Muskingum 6, Tufts 5, and Hendrix 1.

Dropped out: Southwestern and Texas Lutheran.

* NOTE: Texas-Tyler is reclassifying to NCAA Division II, and Pfeiffer continues the process of going from Division II to Division III. Neither is eligible for the NCAA Division III Championship.