Softball Ranked 20th in NFCA Preseason Poll
January 24, 2007 | Softball
Jan. 24, 2007
The University of Louisville softball team is ranked 20th in the 2007 USA Today/National Fastpitch Coaches Association preseason poll as announced by the NFCA on January 24.
The Cards are coming off of a 2006 season which will go down in the books as the most successful in U of L softball history. The Cardinals posted a program-best 45-11 record and went 19-3 in their first year of BIG EAST play to clinch the regular season championship. Louisville put together a program-best 17 game winning streak before falling to Notre Dame 1-0 in the finals of the conference tournament. They went on to receive their third consecutive NCAA at-large bid and for the first time in school history, advanced to the finals of the regional where they lost to fifth-ranked and 2006 WCWS participant Tennessee. U of L also made its first appearance in the top 25 rankings in 2006, finishing the season at No. 17 in the USA Today/NFCA and No. 18 in the ESPN.com/USA Softball polls.
Louisville returns six starters and 10 letterwinners from last year's team, including 2006 BIG EAST Pitcher of the Year and NFCA All-South region second team member senior Catherine Bishop. Also back for the Cards are three-time all-conference third baseman senior Audrey Rendon and two-time all-conference shortstop senior Courtney Moore. Three-year starter Candi Hicks rounds out a veteran senior class.
U of L opens the 2007 season at the Florida International Tournament Feb. 9-11 in Miami. The Cards will take on Oklahoma Feb. 9 at 10 a.m. and Illinois at 2 p.m.
