NACC Softball moves up in national rankings

Another perfect week for the Northeast Alabama Community College softball team has the Mustangs climbing again in the national rankings.

After debuting at No. 4 in the first in-season poll last week, undefeated NACC slid up one spot to No. 3 in the new National Junior College Athletic Association Division I Softball Rankings.

The latest NJCAA rankings were released Monday afternoon.

NACC, which is in just its second season playing college softball, is off to a 16-0 start under the direction of head coach Joe Guthrie and assistant coaches Courtnay Foster and Jimmy Kolaitis.

The Mustangs were unranked in the preseason poll before claiming the program's first ranking a week ago. NACC's impressive start to the season includes a trio of wins over No. 9-ranked McLennan (Texas) Community College as well as four wins over previous NJCAA Division II preseason No. 15-ranked Central Alabama Community College.

NACC swept a doubleheader against Volunteer State (Tennessee) Community College its last time out Tuesday. 

The Mustangs have outscored opponents 137-34 this season and lead the Alabama Community College Conference in team batting average (.424), home runs (25) and slugging percentage (.718). The NACC pitching staff has also allowed the fewest runs (34) and has the lowest team WHIP (walks and hits per inning pitched) at 1.05 in the ACCC and is second in ERA (2.31), strikeouts (99) and hits allowed (84). NACC fielders also lead the conference in fewest errors, having committed only seven in 380 total chances.

NACC is back in action with a doubleheader at Georgia Highlands Wednesday starting at noon. The Mustangs host a doubleheader with Roane State (Tennessee) Community College at Nathaniel Ledbetter Stadium Thursday (1 p.m.) before playing two games at Roane State starting at noon on Saturday.