Softball Ranked No. 18 in NFCA Preseason Poll
January 22, 2013 | Softball
Jan. 22, 2013
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The University of Louisville softball team is ranked No. 18 in the National Fastpitch Coaches Association Division I Preseason Poll which was released on January 22.
About Louisville
The Cardinals are coming off of a program-best 55-5 campaign in which they captured the 2012 BIG EAST regular season and tournament titles and made their ninth straight NCAA regional appearance. Louisville returns seven starters and 12 letterwinners including All-American Taner Fowler and fellow all-conference selections Alicja Wolny, Katie Keller, Whitney Arion, Caralisa Connell, Jennifer Esteban and Jordan Trimble.
Louisville finished the 2012 season at No. 17 in the final USA Today/National Fastpitch Coaches Association poll after being appearing in the top 25 in every ranking period. The Cards reached their highest ranking at No. 9 on April 24, 2012 and spent four weeks at that spot. U of L will open the 2013 season at the UNLV Sportco Kick-Off Classic Feb. 8-10.
NFCA 2013 Preseason Coaches' Poll
The Alabama Crimson Tide will start the 2013 campaign in the exact same position as it finished last season as the No. 1 team in the nation, according to the USA Today/NFCA Division I Top 25 Preseason Poll that was released by the Association on Jan. 22.
The Alabama Crimson Tide will start the 2013 campaign in the exact same position as it finished last season as the No. 1 team in the nation, according to the USA Today/NFCA Division I Top 25 Preseason Poll that was released by the Association on Jan. 22.
The defending national champion Crimson Tide (60-8) received 25 of 31 possible first-place votes to lead the way in the top spot, while the remainder of the top five remained unchanged from last year's final ranking. National runner-up Oklahoma reaped five first-place tallies to sit second, California (58-7) was third after garnering a single first-place nod, Arizona State (53-11) rated fourth and Oregon (45-18) rounded out the top five squads.
The Pacific-12 and Southeastern Conference led the way with seven selections each, while the Big 12 Conference boasted three teams in the ratings. Other leagues placing teams in the listing were the BIG EAST and ACC (two each) as well as the Big Ten, Colonial Athletic Association, Big West and Sun Belt (one each).
