Regional Rankings

INDIANAPOLIS (April 17) – The University of Mount Olive softball program is listed among the top 10 Southeast Region teams currently in consideration for the NCAA Tournament according to the first set of regional rankings unveiled by the NCAA Division II Softball Committee.

For a consecutive year, the initial regional rankings are listed in alphabetical order with no numerical ranking. The committee will rank the teams in numerical order for the first time with the second set of rankings, which will be announced on Wednesday, April 24.

The NCAA regional rankings determine the participants for the NCAA Tournament. The Southeast Region consists of the Conference Carolinas (CC), South Atlantic Conference (SAC), and the Peach Belt Conference (PBC).

All three conference tournament champions receive an automatic berth into the NCAA Tournament with the next five highest-ranked teams in the final regional rankings receiving at-large bids. Updated regional rankings will be released every Wednesday until the conclusion of the season. The official release of the 64-team field for the 2024 NCAA Tournament will be announced on NCAA.com.

Mount Olive was one of two programs from the Conference Carolinas to appear in the initial rankings from the NCAA, including Francis Marion. The SAC had three representatives in Anderson, Lenoir-Rhyne, and Wingate. The PBC also featured five programs in Columbus State, Flagler, Lander, North Georgia, and USC Aiken.

Only results through April 14 were considered for the first set of regional rankings. Mount Olive holds the ninth-best RPI in the region while boasting a 32-11 record against in-region opponents. The Trojans have faced two of the regionally considered teams and currently hold the No. 2 spot in the KPI rankings in the Conference Carolinas, which determines seeding for the league tournament.