Spartans Move Into National Top Five
STARKVILLE, Miss. - Coming off a sweep over Eckerd College and winners of six straight games, the University of Tampa softball team moved up two spots to No. 5 in the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Division II Top 25 poll.
Tampa is also ranked No. 2 in the NCAA South Region rankings, which are the official determination for the NCAA Division II tournament following the regular season. A total of eight teams from the South Region will earn a bid to postseason play.
The 34-5 Spartans are one of five South Region teams in the top-25, joined by Valdosta State (1), Barry (12), Rollins (13) and Alabama-Huntsville (22).
Pitching has been dominant for the Spartans, who won their first 11 Sunshine State Conference games for the program's best start in league play. UT's pitching duo of Deanna Henriott and Kayla Cox has a combined ERA of 0.69 as opposing hitters are batting just .127 against the pair. Tampa now has 23 shutouts in 2012.
As a team, the Spartans are number-one in the nation in ERA and first in fielding percentage as the Spartans own a .980 team fielding clip. UT is also fifth with an .872 winning percentage and 14th in triples per game at 0.36.
Among national leaders, Cox is first in ERA (0.26), first in strikeouts per seven innings (12.2), first in hits allowed per seven innings (2.38), 22nd in strikeouts (185) and fifth in shutouts (11).
Cox also currently carries a streak of 65.1 scoreless innings pitched without an earned run, which represents a school record for the sophomore from Riverview, Fla.
Henriott is 10th in ERA (0.95), second in strikeouts per seven innings (11.3), 17th in wins (20), second in hits allowed per seven innings (3.34), fourth in strikeouts (274) and fourth in shutouts (12).
Additionally, third baseman Susan Jallo is ranked 30th in the nation in triples with four.
Tampa has now been ranked in every poll throughout the 2012 season and holds a current streak of 21 consecutive weeks in the national rankings, marking a program record.
The Spartans will not play again until April 27 at Nova Southeastern University. The three-game SSC series will conclude the regular season. The NCAA South Regional is scheduled from May 5-7 at campus sites to be announced.
The NFCA Division II Top 25 Poll is voted on by 16 NCAA Division II head coaches, two representing each of the eight NCAA regions.