Augustana atop 2020 NFCA Division II Top 25 Preseason Coaches Poll
February 13, 2020 | News | No Comments
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Defending national champion Augustana captured the top billing in the 2020 NFCA Division II Top 25 Preseason Coaches Poll, announced by the Association on Wednesday. The Vikings collected 15 of 16 first-place votes and 399 points.
In 2019, Augustana matched a school record with 61 wins and posted a 10-2 mark during its NCAA postseason run. The Vikings knocked off No. 2 Winona State in Regionals and No. 1 Central Oklahoma in Super Regionals, both on the road. Bouncing back from a defeat in game of the Championship Series, Augustana rallied for a pair of 6-4 wins over Texas A&M-Kingsville to come out on top of Division II.
The national runner-up Javelinas (52-10) earned one-first place vote and 385 points to earn the No. 2 spot. The 2020 Lone Star Conference favorites made their first National Championships appearance and recorded the best campaign in program history in terms of wins, winning percentage and national finish. TAMUK opened NCAA postseason play with nine straight victories, including game one of the Championship Series.
The Vikings and Javelinas are part of a stacked field at the season-opening Arkansas Tech Winter Invitational, Jan. 31-Feb. 2 at Scrap Yard Sports in Conroe, Texas. Along with the No. 1 and 2 teams in the country, No. 7 Central Oklahoma, t-No. 10 Texas A&M University-Commerce, No. 14 Southern Arkansas, t-No. 21 Tarleton and the 23rd-ranked hosts take part in this three-day tournament.
National Championship participants Grand Valley State, West Florida, Young Harris and UC San Diego make up the No. 3 through 6 spots. The Lakers (51-10) reached the national semifinals in the programs’ fourth NCAA Championships appearance. Grand Valley State won both the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference regular season and tournament championships.
The Argonauts (54-11) had a tremendous 2019 campaign posting the most victories since 2005 and claimed the Gulf South Conference’s regular season and tournament titles. The Mountain Lions (44-20) were a first-time NCAA Championship participant in 2019, knocking off the Southeast’s top seed North Georgia in Regionals and Lincoln Memorial in Super Regionals. No. 6 UC San Diego earned the West Region’s No. 2 seed and the Championships’ No. 6 seed. The Tritons (37-17) won the California Collegiate Athletic Association’s regular season and swept through Regionals and Super Regionals (at No. 1 Concordia Irvine).
Central Oklahoma comes in at No. 7 and the other national championship participant West Chester starts in eighth. The Bronchos (48-8) captured both the Great American Conference’s regular season and tournament titles and were the No. 1 seed in the Central Region. The Rams (40-22) made a late-season push in 2019, winning the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference regular season and the East Region as the No. 4 seed.
Florida Tech earned the ninth spot, while Texas A&M University-Commerce and Concordia Irvine shared No. 10. The Panthers (42-12) and Eagles (47-8) reached the Super Regionals, while the Lions (40-14) fell in the South Central regional final.
The Lone Star Conference led the way with four programs – No. 2 TAMUK, t-No. 10 A&M-Commerce, No. 15 Cameron and No. 21 Tarleton State – in the top 25, while the Gulf South – No. 4 West Florida, t-No.18 UAH and No. 24 Valdosta State – earned three nods.
The 2020 NFCA Division II Top 25 Poll is voted on by 16 NCAA Division II head coaches with two representing each of the eight NCAA regions. Records are from the conclusion of the 2019 season.
2020 NFCA Division II
Top 25 Coaches Poll – January 22 (Preseason)
Rank
School
Totals
2019 Record
2019
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1
Augustana (15)
399
61-11
1
2
Texas A&M-Kingsville (1)
385
52-10
2
3
Grand Valley State
347
51-10
3
4
West Florida
337
54-11
5
5
Young Harris
322
44-20
4
6
UC San Diego
310
37-17
7
7
Central Oklahoma
304
48-8
9
8
West Chester
279
40-22
6
9
Florida Tech
255
42-12
10
t10
Texas A&M-Commerce
251
40-14
16
t10
Concordia Irvine
251
47-8
12
12
Indianapolis
204
49-17
14
13
Lincoln Memorial
191
38-15
13
14
Southern Arkansas
167
46-13
24
15
Cameron
162
37-18
11
16
North Georgia
139
45-13
18
17
Saint Anselm
136
41-10
17
t18
UAH
125
39-17
RV
t18
Winona State
125
53-9
15
20
Chico State
119
31-17
21
t21
Southern Indiana
77
35-21
25
t21
Tarleton State
77
40-15
22
23
Arkansas Tech
68
47-15
20
24
Valdosta State
58
36-18
25
Saint Leo
32
31-18
Receiving Votes: Southern New Hampshire (25), West Liberty (13), Oklahoma Christian (13), Mississippi College (9), Dixie State (8), Western Oregon (6), St. Cloud State (3), Anderson (2), UMSL (1).
The 2020 NFCA Division II Top 25 Coaches Poll is voted on by 16 NCAA Division II head coaches with two representing each of the NCAA’s eight regions. Records reflect the 2019 season.
