Softball ranked No. 25 in National Fastpitch Coaches Association pre-NCAA Tournament Poll
ADA — The Ohio Northern softball team fell one spot to No. 25 in the pre-NCAA Tournament poll bt the National Fastpitch Coaches Association Division III poll on Wednesday.
The Polar Bears (26-11 overall, 14-3 Ohio Athletic Conference) received 24 points, which is six more than the 18 points it received when ranked No. 24 in the final regular season poll last week.
ONU has now been nationally ranked in four consecutive seasons.
Emory (Ga.) remained No. 1 with 197 points and five first place votes. Eastern Connecticut State is second with 192 points and three first place votes and Linfield (Ore.) is No. 3 with 185.
The Polar Bears won their fourth consecutive OAC Regular Season title and will be making their fourth consecutive NCAA III Tournamernt appearance at the Alma (Mich.) Regional Thursday-Monday.
NFCA Division III Coaches Poll - #12
May 9, 2012
| Rank | School | Record | Points | Previous |
| 1. | Emory (Ga.) (5) | 33-3 | 197 | 1 |
| 2. | Eastern Connecticut State (3) | 40-1 | 192 | 2 |
| 3. | Linfield (Ore.) | 38-5 | 185 | 3 |
| 4. | Pacific Lutheran (Wash.) | 36-11 | 176 | 5 |
| 5. | Central (Iowa) | 35-8 | 165 | 6 |
| 6. | Luther (Iowa) | 36-6 | 159 | 4 |
| 7. | Texas-Tyler | 32-7 | 151 | 7 |
| 8. | Tufts (Conn.) | 36-5 | 134 | 9 |
| 9. | Illinois Wesleyan | 36-6 | 126 | 8 |
| 10. | Christopher Newport (Va.) | 34-9 | 120 | 10 |
| 11. | Saint Thomas (Minn.) | 37-7 | 107 | 14 |
| 12. | Rowan (N.J.) | 36-7 | 103 | 16 |
| 13. | Redlands (Calif.) | 30-11 | 99 | 15 |
| 14. | Cortland State (N.Y.) | 38-8 | 96 | 11 |
| 15. | Montclair State (N.J.) | 38-7 | 82 | 12 |
| 16. | Trine (Ind.) | 37-8 | 81 | 13 |
| 17. | Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (Calif.) | 35-5 | 77 | 18 |
| 18. | Salisbury (Md.) | 28-11 | 71 | 17 |
| 19. | Coe (Iowa) | 34-11 | 62 | 19 |
| 20. | Wisconsin-Whitewater | 32-11 | 37 | 21 |
| 21. | Carthage (Wis.) | 34-8 | 36 | 20 |
| 22. | Wisconsin-Eau Claire | 32-12 | 35 | 22 |
| 23. | Plattsburgh State (N.Y.) |
31-9 | 17 | NR |
| 24. | Amherst (Mass.) | 34-4 | 16 | 25 |
| 25. | Ohio Northern | 26-11 | 14 | 24 |
Others Receiving Votes: Ithaca (13); Roanoke (11); Wisconsin-River Falls (10); Moravian (4); nine others received votes but appeared on only one ballot.