Southern Illinoise University Athletics
Softball enters USA Today/NFCA poll at No. 24
02/21/2007 | 12:00:00 | Softball
Feb. 21, 2007
By Matt Crouch
www.SIUSalukis.com
** Note (2-23-07) - UPDATE - GameTracker now available for the Hofstra game.
CARBONDALE, Ill. - After knocking off then-ranked No. 5 Louisiana State on Sunday at the Crowne Plaza Classic in Houston, the Southern Illinois University softball team got more good news Wednesday as the team broke in to the USA Today/NFCA Top 25 Coaches Poll.
SIU has been receiving votes since the preseason poll came out on Jan. 24 and will enter this weekend's NFCA Leadoff Classic ranked 24th in the nation.
NFCA Leadoff Classic Game Notes
This week is the 16th week since the 2005 season that SIU finds itself ranked in the top 25. The highest ranking for the Salukis came in May, 2005 as the team was ranked No. 20 in both national polls.
No. 24 Southern Illinois continues its 2007 campaign this weekend as the Salukis take their 8-2 record to Columbus, Ga. for the 12th Annual NFCA Leadoff Classic.
Southern is in Pool 1 with Auburn, Hofstra, No. 13 Michigan and North Carolina.
Also competing this weekend are No. 16/17 Baylor, DePaul, No. 19 Florida, Georgia Tech and No. 24/25 Massachusetts in Pool 2; Coastal Carolina, No. 18 Georgia, Illinois State, Lehigh and Virginia Tech in Pool 3; and No. 20 Florida State, Mississippi State, No. 21 Nebraska, Seton Hall and Tennessee Tech in Pool 4.
SIU will kick off the tournament against North Carolina at 2:30 p.m. ET on Friday, Feb. 23 and follow up at 5 p.m. ET against Hofstra. The Salukis will then take on Auburn at 10:30 a.m. ET on Saturday and follow up at 3:30 p.m. ET with No. 13 Michigan.
Tournament action continues Sunday, Feb. 25 with bracket play.
Southern has a 6-6 record all-time at the NFCA Leadoff Classic and is currently on a three-game winning streak at the tournament, dating back to 2005. SIU is also 3-5 all-time agains the teams in its pool.
GameTracker and an audio Webcast of SIU's games will be available from the Saluki Athletics Web site, www.SIUSalukis.com.
