Mar 21, 2023

🥎 Dragon SB No. 15 this week

Posted Mar 21, 2023 10:25 AM

HutchCC Sports Information

The Hutchinson Community College softball team tied for its highest ranking since returning to Division I in 2019 on Monday as the Blue Dragons were ranked No. 15 in the latest NJCAA Division I rankings released on Monday.

Riding an eight-game winning streak, the 23-4 Blue Dragons jumped two spots in the latest rankings, their third jump up in as many weeks.

Last week, the Blue Dragons swept Northwest Tech 16-1 and 22-0, both were five-inning games. The Blue Dragons then defeated Garden City 4-0 and 12-4 on Friday at Fun Valley.

Hutchinson, which leads the KJCCC with a 9-1 overall record, is the highest ranked Jayhawk Conference team this week. Butler dropped four spots to No. 19.

The No. 15 ranking matches the No. 15 rank the 2022 Blue Dragons finished with after a 41-8 season.

The ranking matches the highest Division I ranking the Dragons have had since the 1988 season when they finished the year at No. 7. The highest Division I ranking in Blue Dragon history is No. 5, which was achieved in 1987.

The Blue Dragons travel to Seward County on Wednesday and to Pratt on Saturday.

NJCAA DIV. I SOFTBALL RANKINGS

                                                                    Record      Points         Last Week

1. Northwest Florida State (8)         35-3           160              2

2. Florida SouthWestern                   29-3           133              3

3. Grayson                                              22-4           126              1

4. Walters State                                    26-0           119              5

5. Wallace State-Hanceville              22-4           112              6

6. Odessa                                                24-4           105              4

7. Seminole State (OK)                       14-2           98                 7

8. Central Florida                                  31-8           91                 9

9. Seminole State (FL)                         31-6           84                 10

10. Chattanooga State                        20-7           77                 12

11. McLennan                                        20-8           70                 8

12. Galveston                                        24-4           63                 14

13. Volunteer State                             19-5           56                 15

14. Lake Land                                         16-6           49                 16

15. Hutchinson                                     23-4           42                 17

16. Salt Lake                                           16-7           35                 RV

17. Southern Idaho                              16-9           28                 11

18. Indian River State                         29-7           21                 18

19. Butler                                                15-7           14                 13

20. Weatherford                                  22-7           2                   20

     Receiving Votes: Pensacola State, Temple, San Jacinto, Utah State Eastern, Eastern Arizona