Softball | 1/27/2021 11:54:00 AM

    LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The West Liberty University softball team just missed earning a Top 25 spot when the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) released its annual NCAA Division II preseason poll on Wednesday morning.
    Nevertheless, veteran head coach Herb Minch and his defending Mountain East Conference champion Hilltoppers topped the list of teams also receiving votes from the nationwide ranking committee of NCAA Division II softball coaches.
    Nearly two years have passed since the Black and Gold was ranked No. 1 in the final 2019 NCAA Division II Atlantic Region rankings following a Mountain East Conference North Division title and a four-game sweep of the 2019 MEC Tournament.
    The Hilltoppers earned the right to host an Atlantic Regional pod at the WLU Softball Complex and settled for runner-up honors after falling to powerful Shepherd in the championship round.
    Despite the cancellation of the 2020 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Minch welcomes back nearly everyone from that powerhouse 2019 squad that just missed setting a school record with 38 wins. That certainly factored into West Liberty receiving 18 votes in the NFCA Preseason Top 25 – just five votes shy of No. 25-ranked Grand Valley State (Mich.).
    The Hilltoppers are scheduled to open the 2021 season at home on March 1 with a non-conference doubleheader against Salem (W.Va.) University. First pitch is set for 2 p.m. at the WLU Softball Complex.
                                                                                          2020      2020
          Team                                                    Pts         W-L     Rank
  1     Southern Arkansas (16)               400         22-2             1
  2     North Georgia                                 381         23-4             3
  3     Augustana                                         358         16-3             4
  4     UT-Tyler                                             354         17-3             5
  5     Angelo State                                    318         19-6             7
  6     Young Harris                                    314         19-3             6
  7     Saint Leo                                            312         23-7             8
  8     Rollins                                                 280         21-3             9
  9     Texas A&M-Commerce               260         16-7          10
10     Trevecca Nazarene                        258         15-3          11
11     Concordia-Irvine                             238         17-5          13
12     Valdosta State                                 196         18-5          15
13     Oklahoma Christian                      179         21-5          16
14     Saint Anselm                                    168         16-4          12
15     Winona State                                   166         13-7         NR
16     Lenoir-Rhyne                                   164         20-4          21
17     Southern Indiana                           141         15-4          19
18     Rogers State                                     136         21-8          17
19     Lubbock Christian                          109         20-6          18
20     Alabama-Huntsville                       101         15-8          25
21     Indianapolis                                        86         14-5         RV
22     Lincoln Memorial                              83         16-5          14
23     West Chester                                      66         12-3         NR
24     Tampa                                                   38         19-9         RV
25     Grand Valley State                           23         13-3         RV
    Also receiving votes: WEST LIBERTY 18, Minnesota State 18, Francis Marion 9, MSU-Denver 9, Biola 8, St. Cloud State 5, Central Oklahoma 2, Texas A&M-Kingsville 2.