National College Softball Editor Justin McLeod’s “Mid-Major” Top 10 is here following Week 7 action.
In a spot they’ve held for almost the entire season, Louisiana maintains their position as the best program among the mid-major ranks. The Cajuns dropped a game to Appalachian State at home this weekend, which might hurt their regional-hosting chances but doesn’t hurt them in the MM Top 10.
Central Arkansas also dropped the middle game of their weekend conference series, theirs against North Alabama, but posted a come-from-behind win over Tulsa on Tuesday night and holds firm at #2 in this week’s rankings. The Bears are 4-2 to start conference play and are a top-20 RPI program.
After having their non-conference weekend canceled due to weather, Boston holds the same record as last week and holds the #3 spot in the MM Top 10. The Terriers are back to their old selves, the program that looks like a contender even on the national scene and especially in the Patriot League.
An important series sweep of UTEP was Charlotte’s weekend activity; the Miners aren’t a top-level opponent, but the Niners are improving on last year’s shortcomings and not dropping games to every conference foe they face. The weekend did include a 7-run comeback at one point over the Miners.
Following an eyebrow-raising series sweep over North Texas, Western Kentucky moves all the way up to #5 in this week’s ranking. The Hilltoppers swept past the Mean Green at home in Bowling Green, taking wins in both games of a doubleheader before finishing off the series with a 9-2 victory to secure the sweep.
Undefeated and standing at 6-0 to begin conference play, McNeese has posted five shutouts in six games against Southland foes. A tight loss to LSU also figures in to the last twelve days’ worth of games for the team from Lake Charles. They also posted a run-rule win over Houston shortly before conference play began.
Similarly undefeated to begin Missouri Valley play, Northern Iowa makes an appearance in the MM Top 10 after running amuck over their first two weeks of conference games. A sweep over Murray State to open conference play turned heads, especially after a 17-0 result in the final game of that weekend. The Panthers followed that up with a sweep over Illinois-Chicago, outscoring the Flames in Chicago by a cumulative 24-2 total.
Grand Canyon, surprisingly, isn’t on top of their conference at this point, but the Lopes are still continuing their solid start to the year. The Lopes have won back-to-back conference series’ and still have – by a large margin – the fewest losses of any team in the WAC.
One win in their opening conference series didn’t tell us much about Marshall in 2023, but a three-game sweep over Southern Miss did check some boxes anew. The Herd shutout the visiting Golden Eagles in two separate games, throwing a 17-9 run-rule victory in the middle game of the series. The Herd have also dominated, as they should, non-conference competition in between league games.
Quietly succeeding in the early-goings of a crowded Conference USA race, Middle Tennessee is 23-8 through the season’s first seven weeks. The Blue Raiders are 4-2 in conference play, owning series wins over UAB and Louisiana Tech.
ALSO NOTE:
Jacksonville State is an undefeated 6-0 in ASun conference play, standing alone in that realm in their league… the top half of the ASun has gotten stronger, with teams like Florida Gulf Coast and Austin Peay showing up in the first couple of weeks of conference play… Campbell has quietly put together a solid start to their own season, both in non-conference play and to begin against Big South competition… Boise State and Colorado State split two games in Boise, with the rubber match canceled due to weather… BYU has had some weather issues of their own, only playing 22 games to this point and standing at 15-7.
