Rounding Third Softball

USA Softball has announced that the Women’s National Team will host a training camp March 3-18 at the Eddie C. Moore Softball Complex in Clearwater, Florida as the team continues preparations for Tokyo Olympic Games this summer. Including in this camp will be a three-game series against the National Squad from Mexico March 8-10. The series between USA and Mexico is being rescheduled after inclement weather in Texas earlier this month forced its cancellation. A limited number of fans will be allowed into EC Moore for the contests.

RTS will be back in Orlando tomorrow for the start of a three game series between No. 22 ranked Central Florida and McNeese State. First pitch for Game 1 of the series is set for 4 pm EST at the UCF Softball Complex. Game 2 will follow at 6 pm. The final game of the series is scheduled for 1 pm on Saturday. Follow RTS on Twitter @Rounding3rdSB for real-time in game updates.

Dallas Christian College has named Pat Hallahan the programs first head coach. He is tasked with building the Crusaders program that starts competition in the 2022 season. Hallahan has a background in both baseball and softball on the collegiate, high school, and club levels. His most recent appointment was at Finlandia University where he worked in recruiting with both the softball and baseball programs.

Southern Arkansas (2-0) has kept hold of the No. 1 spot in this weeks NFCA Division II Top 25 Coaches Poll. Despite not having competed since January 30, the Muleriders picked up 13 of 16 votes while No. 2 North Georgia (10-0) closed the gap slightly picking up the other three votes.

Rank	School	Points	2021 Record	Last Poll
1	Southern Arkansas (13)	399	2-0	1
2	North Georgia (3)	387	10-0	2
3	Augustana	363	0-0	3
4	UT Tyler	351	2-0	4
5	Young Harris	336	8-1	5
6	Saint Leo	320	0-0	6
7	Texas A&M-Commerce	308	3-1	7
8	Rollins	282	0-0	8
9	Valdosta State	264	5-1	10
10	Oklahoma Christian	253	4-0	12
11	Concordia Irvine	240	2-0	11
12	Winona State	223	2-0	13
13	Saint Anselm	185	0-0	14
14	Lincoln Memorial	180	7-0	20
15	UAH	166	7-2	17
16	Rogers State	149	0-0	18
17	Indianapolis	145	0-0	19
18	Texas A&M-Kingsville	130	5-1	23
19	Angelo State	105	2-2	9
20	Grand Valley State	97	3-0	24
21	Lenoir-Rhyne	78	4-2	15
22	West Chester	68	0-0	21
23	Tampa	51	0-0	22
24	Lubbock Christian	44	9-2	25
25	Saginaw Valley State	25	5-0	RV

Receiving Votes: Minnesota State (15), West Texas A&M (8), Francis Marion (6), St. Cloud State (5), Metropolitan State University of Denver (4), Southern Indiana (4), West Florida (4), Central Oklahoma (3), Adelphi (2), Biola (2).

RTS will be onsite in Orlando this evening for the Top 25 matchup between No. 20 ranked Missouri and No. 22 Central Florida. First pitch is set for 6 pm EST at the UCF Softball Complex. Follow RTS on Twitter @Rounding3rdSB for real-time in game updates.

UCLA has kept their tight grasp on the top spot in this weeks USA Today/NFCA Division I Top 25 Coaches Poll. The Bruins sit at 5-0 for the season and received all 32 first place votes unanimously claiming No. 1.

Rank	School	Points	Record	Last Week
1	UCLA (32)	800	5-0	1
2	Oklahoma	760	6-0	3
3	Arizona	719	5-0	4
4	Alabama	700	8-0	5
5	Washington	665	9-1	2
6	Florida	657	8-0	6
7	Texas	590	2-0	7
8	Oregon	553	7-0	10
9	Louisiana	543	4-0	9
10	Oklahoma State	513	6-0	11
11	LSU	456	5-3	8
12	Kentucky	455	9-0	12
13	Arizona State	406	6-0	15
14	Virginia Tech	399	7-2	14
15	Florida State	341	7-3	13
16	Duke	318	8-1	18
17	Michigan	264	0-0	17
18	South Carolina	200	2-1	19
19	Georgia	173	5-2	16
20	Missouri	169	6-2	21
21	Arkansas	130	3-2	20
22	UCF	124	6-1	24
23	Baylor	87	1-1	23
24	Minnesota	73	0-0	25
25	Iowa State	56	9-1	NR

New to Poll: No. 25 Iowa State

Dropped Out: No. 22 Mississippi State 

Receiving Votes: Mississippi State (55), Stanford, (46), Utah (38), Auburn (27), Clemson (25), Oregon State (22), Tennessee (22), Texas Tech (5), James Madison (3), Liberty (2), Northwestern (2), Southern Illinois (2).

RTS is saddened to report the passing of Italian National Softball Team Head Coach Enrico Obletter. The manager of Team Italy was battling COVID-19 and had recently taken an unfortunate turn according to friends and colleagues after a series of oxygen and other treatments. Obletter would have led the Italian Olympic Team later this summer in the Tokyo Games. Considered an elite coach and well thought of in the World Softball Coaching Community, Obletter catapulted the Italians onto the global stage by capturing the 2019 European Softball Championship title and qualifying for the 2020 Olympics Games after winning the 2019 WBSC Softball Europe/Africa Qualifier.

Friend and associate to RTS Chip Grubb from Tech Sideline was in the ACC Pod in Atlanta along with us this weekend. He talks about all the action and the upstart Hokies.

Weekend Roundup: Virginia Tech Softball Goes 4-2 Against Clemson, FSU

Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College moved quickly to fill their completely vacant coaching staff going with former longtime head coach Kenneth Long to serve as interim coach, and high school assistant coach Shelbee Sowders and former South Alabama student-athlete Katelyn Gruich as interim assistants. Long coached the Bulldogs for 18 seasons amassing 584-232 record before his retirement. MGCCC Administration seemed to prefer the interim route until the summer hiring season after being engaged by a few highly successful current and former coaches from various collegiate levels.

Being the first to cancel their sports seasons in 2020; The Ivy League is at least consistent and now made it two in a row canceling spring sports for 2021 due to pandemic concerns. This will be the second season in a row Ivy Softball Institutes will not compete in league play or decide an Ivy League Champion.