Top 25 NCAA Division II Rankings

NCAA Division II Softball Rankings: Preseason Top 25

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – UT Tyler, a mainstay in the top 10 last year, is the No. 1 team in the 2022 NFCA Division II Top 25 Preseason Coaches Poll. The Patriots, who recently completed their transition to NCAA Division II, received eight first-place votes and 386 points.

Voted as the Lone Star Conference favorites, UT Tyler finished 33-7 overall in 2021 and captured the LSC regular season title in its first run through league play. However, the Patriots did not compete in the postseason (conference or NCAA) due to being in their final year of transition. UT Tyler was ranked in the top 10 during the entire 2021 regular season and held a top-five ranking seven times, peaking at No. 2 on May 5.

Augustana comes in at No. 2, receiving five first-place votes and 371 points. The Vikings (49-8) were 2021 national semifinalists and look to make a third consecutive trip to the National Championships in Denver, Colo. 

National runner-up Biola, who earned three-first place votes (365), and defending national champion West Texas A&M (360) enter 2022 as No. 3 and No. 4, respectively. The No. 5 and No. 6 national seeds made undefeated runs into the Championship series. After the Eagles (26-16) took game one, the Lady Buffs (43-12) rebounded with two straight wins and the program’s second national title.

North Georgia makes its 2022 debut at No. 5. The NightHawks (43-8) reached the national semifinals in their third trip to the national championship in the last five years it has been held.

2021 National Championship participants – No. 6 Grand Valley State, No. 7 Valdosta State, No. 8 Saint Anselm and No. 9 West Chester – make up the next four spots with West Region runner-up Concordia Irvine rounding out the top 10.

The LSC led the way with five nationally-ranked programs. Joining UT Tyler and WT, were No. 15 Oklahoma Christian, No. 18 Angelo State and No. 22 Texas A&M University-Commerce. The Gulf South Conference was right behind with four – Valdosta State, No. 14 Auburn-Montgomery, No. 17 West Florida and No. 23 UAH.

The 2022 NFCA Division II Top 25 Poll is voted on by 16 NCAA Division II head coaches with two representing each of the eight NCAA regions. The poll will be released each Tuesday at noon ET with the first regular-season poll announced on Feb. 15.

For more info on Division II softball and stats