Perfect Start Keeps Alabama on Top of USA Today/NFCA Rankings for Second Consecutive Poll
February 12, 2013
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – A perfect 5-0 mark at the University of Northern Iowa Dome Tournament has allowed Alabama to maintain its position on top of the USA Today/NFCA Division I Softball poll for a second straight week the Association announced on Tuesday.
The Crimson Tide picked up 21 of a possible 31 first-place votes, however, UA saw its advantage over No. 2 Oklahoma (5-0) trimmed from 20 points in the preseason poll to just nine tallies following the opening weekend. The Sooners received 10 first-place nods after roaring through the Kajikawa Classic in Tempe, Ariz., going 5-0 with victories over then-No. 5 Oregon and then-No. 21 Stanford.
Arizona State (7-0) rose one position to No. 3 and Tennessee (5-0) leapt a pair of spots from sixth to fourth. Florida (5-0) proved the poll’s biggest climber, racing all the way from 14th in the preseason to fifth after wins over then-No. 3 California, then-No. 5 Oregon and then-No. 13 Arizona at the Kajikawa Classic.
Texas (5-0), Oregon (4-2) and Missouri (0-0) sit sixth through eighth, respectively. California (2-2) dropped from third to ninth, while LSU (4-1) rounded out this week’s top 10.
The USA Today/NFCA Division I Top 25 Poll is voted on by 31 NCAA Division I head coaches, one representing each conference. Current 2013 records are shown, first-place votes are in parentheses.
|
Rank |
Team |
2013 Record |
Totals |
Previous Poll |
|
1 |
Alabama (21) |
5-0 |
763 |
1 |
|
2 |
Oklahoma (10) |
5-0 |
754 |
2 |
|
3 |
Arizona State |
7-0 |
710 |
4 |
|
4 |
Tennessee |
5-0 |
668 |
6 |
|
5 |
Florida |
5-0 |
610 |
14 |
|
6 |
Texas |
5-0 |
604 |
7 |
|
7 |
Oregon |
4-2 |
574 |
5 |
|
8 |
Missouri |
0-0 |
557 |
8 |
|
9 |
California |
2-2 |
532 |
3 |
|
10 |
LSU |
4-1 |
516 |
10 |
|
11 |
Texas A&M |
4-0 |
439 |
17 |
|
12 |
USF |
3-1 |
433 |
12 |
|
13 |
Georgia |
3-2 |
360 |
9 |
|
14 |
Michigan |
3-1 |
352 |
15 |
|
15 |
Louisiana Lafayette |
2-1 |
335 |
11 |
|
16 |
Arizona |
3-2 |
285 |
13 |
|
17 |
Louisville |
4-1 |
269 |
18 |
|
18 |
Washington |
4-2 |
263 |
16 |
|
19 |
UCLA |
3-1 |
224 |
19 |
|
20 |
Hawai’i |
5-1 |
193 |
23 |
|
21 |
Hofstra |
0-0 |
167 |
20 |
|
22 |
Stanford |
4-2 |
147 |
21 |
|
23 |
North Carolina |
3-2 |
93 |
22 |
|
24 |
Kentucky |
4-2 |
79 |
RV |
|
25 |
Florida State |
4-0 |
74 |
25 |
Dropped Out: #24 Baylor (3-2)
Others Receiving Votes: Georgia Tech (30), Baylor (13), DePaul (10), Ohio State (8), Tulsa (7), Virginia Tech (3), Syracuse (2), South Alabama (1).
***First place votes in parentheses
