LOUISVILLE, Ky. | National Fastpitch Coaches Association - For the first time since 2018, McKendree University softball (7-1) entered the NCAA Division II National Poll with the Bearcats coming in at No.23 following a 7-1 start to the 2025 campaign, including six-straight wins since the lone setback against current No.9 Trevecca Nazarene. Over the first two weekends of the season, the Bearcats have notched a pair of GLVC Player of the Week honors in junior outfielder
Laynee Tapp and junior shortstop
Lauren Harris while the pitching staff holds an ERA of 2.98 with a 1.48 WHIP in 54.0 innings of action. McKendree also receives its highest ranking of its NCAA DII era, as the Bearcats ranked as No.25 in 2018 for the program's first-ever DII national ranking. No.23 McKendree gets back in action this upcoming weekend with two games against No.21 Harding, who's lone loss is to the Bearcats, and a pair versus Central Missouri at the Branson Bash Classic.
NFCA / GOROUT NCAA Division II National Poll
| Rank |
Team |
Record |
Points |
Previous |
| 1 |
UT Tyler (16) |
9-0 |
400 |
1 |
| 2 |
Auburn Montgomery |
5-2 |
375 |
6 |
| 3 |
North Georgia |
5-1 |
361 |
8 |
| 4 |
Wilmington |
0-0 |
337 |
5 |
| 5 |
Tampa |
7-1 |
335 |
10 |
| 6 |
Augustana |
5-3 |
327 |
7 |
| 7 |
Angelo State |
9-1 |
314 |
11 |
| 8 |
Rogers State |
6-3 |
280 |
9 |
| 9 |
Trevecca Nazarene |
9-0 |
251 |
17 |
| 10 |
Western Washington |
1-4 |
236 |
2 |
| 11 |
West Texas A&M |
10-0 |
234 |
13 |
| 12 |
Francis Marion |
6-2 |
212 |
14 |
| 13 |
Central Oklahoma |
7-1 |
183 |
25 |
| 14 |
Cal State San Marcos |
10-1 |
177 |
23 |
| 15 |
Mississippi College |
6-4 |
175 |
12 |
| 16 |
Indianapolis |
1-3 |
159 |
3 |
| 17 |
Lenoir-Rhyne |
3-5 |
146 |
4 |
| 18 |
East Stroudsburg |
4-2 |
134 |
16 |
| 19 |
Cal State Dominguez Hills |
7-2 |
131 |
15 |
| 20 |
Oklahoma Christian |
7-1 |
129 |
24 |
| 21 |
Harding |
9-1 |
103 |
NR |
| 22 |
Nova Southeastern |
8-3 |
58 |
NR |
| 23 |
McKendree |
7-1 |
35 |
NR |
| 24 |
Northwest Nazarene |
5-4 |
32 |
18 |
| 25 |
Kutztown |
5-0 |
25 |
NR |
NOTES
McKendree enters the national top-25 poll for the first time since 2018 while also marking just the second season since joining DII that the Bearcats have been ranked. The No.23 ranking also marks the highest ranking in the program's NCAA DII era. In 2018, the Bearcats reached No.25 twice.
Winners of six-straight, McKendree owns just one blemish on the year to current-No.9 Trevecca Nazarene (9-0) while handing a lone loss to No.21 Harding (9-1) last weekend at the Alvy Early Memorial Classic. The 23rd-ranked Bearcats battle No.21 Harding again in Branson this upcoming weekend with two games versus the Bison.
Through just two weeks of the campaign, McKendree owns both Great Lakes Valley Conference Player of the Week nods as junior outfielder
Laynee Tapp received the season-opening honor and junior shortstop
Lauren Harris claimed the award this week following her bombardment of opposing teams over the 4-0 weekend.
Through eight games, McKendree boasts three bats with averages over .400, led by junior pitcher
Sami Huck (.444) while Harris narrowly trails (.440) and junior infielder
Ali Grenzebach rounds out the trio (.429). The Bearcats also have four players with double-digit total bases behind Harris (22), Huck (14), Grenzebach (11), and freshman infielder
Morgan Spodarek (20).
The starting pitcher duo for the Bearcats of Huck and junior
Ellie Vetter also holds multiple feats through the start of the year with Huck leading the conference in strikeouts (30) and ranking second in wins (3-0) while Vetter leads in wins (4) and sits second in complete games (3).
UP NEXT | Branson Bash Classic II - Branson, Missouri
February 14 | 4:00PM vs. Central Missouri
February 14 | 6:00PM vs. Harding
February 15 | 3:00PM vs. Harding
February 15 | 5:00PM vs. Central Missouri
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