Simpson Softball ranked 8/10 nationally before A-R-C Championships
INDIANOLA, Iowa - In the final weekly ranking before the NCAA regionals are announced, Simpson earned top-10 in both the NCAA NPI rankings and the NFCA/GoRout Top 25 Coaches Poll, earning eighth and tenth respectively on Tuesday.
Simpson finished the regular season with a 32-5 record, marking the first time the Storm have won 30 or more games in back-to-back seasons since 2015-16. With a 13-3 record in A-R-C action, the Storm enter the A-R-C Championships as the two-seed with a bye until the semifinals on Saturday, May 9. Simpson will face the winner of No. 3 Luther and No. 6 Coe at 1:30 p.m.
The NPI is a computer model used to determine seeding and at-large bids to the NCAA Division III Softball Championship tournament. The tournament will include 62 teams including 41 automatic Pool A bids, one Pool B bid and 20 at-large Pool C bids. At-large selections will be awarded to the 20 highest ranked teams, according to the NPI, remaining following the Pool A and B selections.
Simpson continued to hold the top spot in the region over Saint Mary's in the NPI ranking, along with earning a top-10 spot in the NFCA Coaches Poll. The Storm led the trio of A-R-C schools ranked in the top-50 of the NPI with Wartburg at 14 and Central at 36, with Loras just outside at 52.
Leading the offense for Simpson has been two-time All-American Ashlyn Steen. Steen currently leads the conference in batting average (.527), on-base (.612), slugging (.866), hits (59), triples (8), and stolen bases (40). Cleaning up behind Steen in the order has been the trio of Megan Heidelbauer, Mackenzie James, and Katie Shaner. The three have combined for 122 RBIs, 94 runs scored, and 59 extra base hits. In the circle, two-time A-R-C Pitcher of the Week Marina Cronin and senior Emma LaFave have formed a lethal 1-2 punch. The duo is 28-4 on the season with 19 complete games, and 179 strikeouts over 194.2 innings of work.
Simpson begins the A-R-C Tournament on Saturday, May 9 at 1:30 p.m. in the semifinal round with the championship following directly after. The Storm will learn where they go in the NCAA Regionals on Monday, May 11 at 10:00 a.m. on the NCAA selection show.
