IRVINE, Calif. - For the fourth straight year, the Concordia University Irvine softball team begins the season ranked in the NFCA DII Top 25 Coaches Preseason Poll.

CUI comes in at No. 10 and is one of three DII programs in the west region to draw early national attention along with Biola and Colorado Mesa.

This is also the third time in the past four years the Eagles have started in the Top 10 of the NFCA DII rankings - with the only exception coming last January when CUI was ranked in the No. 11 spot.

"It's always nice to be recognized by coaches as a quality program," said CUI head softball coach and athletic director Crystal Rosenthal. "We work hard to put a competitive team on the field each season and we will continue to work hard to continue doing so."

Here is a look at the Top 10. For the full list of the NFCA Top 25 CLICK HERE.
 

NFCA DII Coaches Preseason Poll
Ranking	Team	2021 Final Ranking
1	UT-Tyler (8)	17
2	Augustana (5)	3
3	Biola (3)	2
4	West Texas A&M	1
5	North Georgia	4
6	Grand Valley State	5
7	Valdosta State	6
8	Saint Anselm	7
9	West Chester	8
10	Concordia	12

The CUI softball team gets its first chance to compete in early February when the Eagles host the 2022 Concordia Kickoff Classic.

The field has expanded from 10 teams to 21 programs competing at nearby Great Park in Irvine, Calif. as part of this unique tournament. There are seven PacWest Conference teams along with nine CCAA schools, four GNAC teams and Colorado Mesa from the RMAC traveling to Orange County from Friday, Feb. 4 through Sunday, Feb 6.

CLICK HERE for the 2022 Concordia Kickoff Classic Tournament Central Page

CUI will face Northwest Nazarene and Cal State San Bernardino in its first two games of the year on Friday, Feb. 4. The Saturday slate includes the Eagles tangling with No. 21 Colorado Mesa and Western Washington before perennial power Chico State on Sunday. 

**Note all tournament games are NOT on CUI's campus but at Great Park about 15 minutes from campus.  The five CUI games will be hosted in the Stadium just like two years ago.**

Tickets are conveniently available to be purchased online and fans are encouraged to buy all their tickets in advance.

**IMPORTANT: We are NOT accepting cash or credit card at the gate entrance during the tournament. All fans must purchase tickets online (using their credit card) through our CUI Hometown Ticketing link**

CLICK HERE to BUY TICKETS AHEAD OF TIME for the Concordia Kickoff Classic

Concordia returns multiple All-Conference selections including catcher Sydney Sprinkle, outfielder Megan Massa and first baseman Missy Nemeth. The pitching staff still features right-handers Erika Morris and Cortney Koelmans as well as lefty Rae Flores. At the same time, the Eagles have reloaded with an exciting group of new freshmen and sophomore pitcher Katlin Entrup - who is a transfer from the University of San Diego.

Rosenthal and associate head coach Rose Imbriano have steered the CUI softball program to 560 victories together over the past dozen years. The Eagles won back-to-back PacWest Conference titles in 2018 and 2019 and also finished in first place in the PacWest SoCal Pod last spring and earned the league's automatic qualifier into the postseason.  In each of those three years, Concordia hosted the NCAA DII West Regional playoffs and in 2019 advanced to the second round.(There was no postseason during the shortened 2020 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic).

CLICK HERE for the 2022 CUI softball schedule