LOUISVILLE, Ky.-- The Trine softball team is ranked sixth in the nation in the latest NFCA Division III Top 25 Poll, released Wednesday.
The Thunder earned votes totaling 156 points to climb up from last week's number seven ranking. The ranking matchest the team's highest of the 2015 campaign. Trine most-recently clinched at least a share of a fourth-consecutive MIAA regular-season title with a sweep of conference-rival Alma. The Thunder also swept league foes Olivet and Albion since the last national rankings. Trine is on a 10-game winning-streak, with a 31-2 overall record and a 13-1 mark in conference play.
Click Here for NFCA Division III Poll.
As of the latest NCAA statistics report released for games played through Monday, Trine was leading the nation in slugging percentage and home runs per game. The Thunder were also second in stolen bases and doubles per game, ninth in batting average and 11th in on-bases percentage.
After yesterday's doubleheader, Trine is batting .383, getting on base at a .442 clip and slugging .643. The Thunder have clubbed 48 home runs, stolen 101 bases and are averaging 9.30 runs per game.
Carly Searles (Levering, Mich./Petoskey) leads the nation with 10 triples. Her .528 average entering the week, which has since climbed to .531, was 10th in the nation. The senior also leads the nation in runs per game and ranks 10th in stolen bases, 16th in on-base percentage and 22nd in slugging percentage.
Kaylee Fox's (Vemilion, Ohio/Edison) 11 home runs entering the week ranked ninth nationally and are the most ever by a Trine freshman. Fox has knocked in 45 runs this year, a mark that ranked 12th nationally entering the week.
Justine Robles (Long Beach, Calif./Lakewood) was tied for 10th in the nation with six shutouts entering the week. The junior threw a two-hit shutout yesterday to pick up her team-record seventh shutout of the year.
Trine closes out the regular-season this Saturday with a doubleheader against MIAA-foe St. Mary's. First pitch is slated for 1 p.m. One victory would clinch an outright-MIAA Championship for the Thunder.