VALDOSTA —
For the third consecutive week, the Valdosta State Blazers softball team is the nation’s best team.
The Blazers topped the newest NFCA Division II Coaches Poll, released on Wednesday, by receiving 15 first place votes.
The University of Indianapolis was the only other school receiving votes. The Greyhounds tallied just one first place vote.
The Blazers went 6-0 last week, including sweeps of North Alabama and Alabama-Huntsville. VSU’s game one victory over North Alabama on Friday set the Gulf South Conference record for longest winning streak, setting the mark at 28 games. VSU has since increased the winning streak to 31 games. Overall, the Blazers are 37-2 on the season, and will visit West Alabama and West Florida this weekend.
The Blazers are also ranked No. 1 in the South Region standings, which were released Wednesday for the first time this season. Tampa (31-5) is second in the region standings, followed by Rollins (29-7). Barry (31-8), one of the two teams to beat the top-ranked Blazers this season — and the only team in the region — is ranked third, followed by defending region champion Alabama-Huntsville (27-12), West Alabama (23-15), West Florida (26-17) and Florida Southern (17-10).
So far this season, VSU has played against five of the seven schools in the top eight of the region standings, going 8-1 in the nine games played this season. The Blazers beat Tampa 4-1 on Feb. 19.
Nova Southeastern (19-19) and North Alabama (17-16) are ranked ninth and 10th, respectively. The Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference did not have a member school represented in the top 10 of the region standings, but the conference champion will receive an invitation to the region tournament at the end of the regular season. The member school would represent the eighth seed in the final region standings.
If the region tournament were to start this weekend, Valdosta State and Tampa would serve as the two host schools. The Blazers would face the SIAC champion (who would replace Florida Southern in the current standings), while Barry and Alabama-Huntsville would also meet in Valdosta for the double-elimination tournament.
Tampa would face West Florida in the opening round, while West Alabama would play against Rollins.
The two winners of the respective region tournaments would meet in the Super Regional tournament on the following weekend in a best two-of-three series. The games would be played at the stadium of the higher-ranked team.
Local Sports
Blazers remain No. 1 in nation, top region rankings
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Win or go home
The Valdosta State softball team faces Armstrong Atlantic University in an elimination game for the 2013 Division II Softball Championship Tournament today at noon.
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HOOPER: An early look at the 2013 football season
I haven’t written a column in quite some time, largely because there has been so much going on and we haven’t always had the space, nor have I felt up to it after writing so many other stories.
But today, I am writing this column and taking up the inches in the daily sports section and giving a little love to the upcoming football season. -
Blazers fall to Molloy in eight innings
With only one out remaining and trailing by three, the Molloy Lions strung together four hits to plate three runs in the seventh followed by another run in the eighth inning to defeat Valdosta State’s softball team 5-4 in the first round of the 2013 Division II Softball National Championship Tournament on Thursday in Salem, Va.
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Albritton, Johnson earn All-America honors
Valdosta State softball players Courtney Albritton and Morgan Johnson gathered multiple All-America honors late Wednesday night.
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Golfers take course for Wounded Warriors
Local patrons participated in the Wounded Warrior Project Golf Tournament at Stone Creek Golf Club in Valdosta on Thursday.
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Valwood football hosting 4-man scramble golf tourney
Head coach Ashley Henderson and the Valwood football team will be hosting a 4-man scramble golf tournament at Valdosta Country Club Friday, June 14.
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VHS football cheerleaders to host Junior Cheer Camp
The Valdosta High School football cheerleaders will be hosting a Junior Cheer Camp June 5 through June 7 at the W.G. Nunn Elementary School gymnasium.
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Gillespie, McPherson pleased with spring practices
Valdosta’s Rance Gillespie and Lowndes’ Randy McPherson both think their football teams got better during the recent 10 days of spring practice.
Then again, both coaches know their teams have a ways to go before the start of the football season. -
Signing day at VHS
It was signing day galore at Valdosta High School Wednesday.
Six student-athletes signed national letter of intents to compete at the next level, while two VHS athletes both signed academic scholarships to Division I universities. -
Powell signs with Shorter
Robert Powell, a member of the basketball team on South Georgia State College’s Waycross Campus, has signed a letter of intent to continue his basketball career at Shorter University in Rome.
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