Southern Illinoise University Athletics
Softball Improves To #28 In Latest NFCA Poll
03/26/2003 | 12:00:00 | Softball
March 26, 2003
Colorado Springs, Colo. - The Southern Illinois University softball team moved up to #28 in this week's National Fastpitch Coaching Association (NFCA) Top 25 poll with 14 votes.
SIU was ranked #30 in last week's NFCA Top 25 poll and has been ranked as high as #27 two weeks ago. In addition, the Salukis are back in the ESPN.com/USA Softball Top 25 poll at #34 after falling out of the new poll last week.
"I think it's great that we have maintained a place in the NFCA poll for six weeks, which is by far longer than we've ever been ranked. I'm happy and I know polls are polls, but it's nice to see the school's name in the poll. It's nice to get the national recognition, but I'm concerned more about playing well and the votes will come if we keep doing that," said Kerri Blaylock, SIU head coach.
The Salukis went 3-0 last week in an MVC road sweep of Indiana State to improve to 16 overall, 5-1 in MVC play.
The NFCA ranking the last six weeks is the longest SIU has been in a national poll in school history. The first 2003 ranking six weeks ago was the first since the late 1990s, when SIU was ranked in the thirties in the NFCA poll.
SIU travels to Cape Girardeau, Mo. tonight to face Southeast Missouri State in a non-conference doubleheader at 4 p.m. at the Southeast Softball complex.
