Four Campbellsville University athletic teams move up in NAIA rankings

CAMPBELLSVILLE, KY (04/10/2015)(readMedia)-- To say it's been a banner year for Campbellsville University athletics would be an understatement. A total of six teams had been ranked in their respective polls through the winter sports and you can add four more to that list now.

Softball (9), baseball (16), men's tennis (19) and women's golf (25) all moved up in the NAIA polls this past week and have put Campbellsville University athletics back on the map.

The success started for Fighting Tiger football winning its first Mid-South Conference championship (west-division) and advancing to the NAIA playoffs for the first time since 2001.

It was followed by men's and women's wrestling being ranked in the Top 5 and both teams having national champions (Davion Caston, Kayla Miracle and Tiara Scott).

The success then went to the basketball programs. Both the men's and women's teams won the MSC regular season championship and the Tigers won their second MSC Tournament Title.

The Lady Tigers stole the show at the NAIA National Tournament, advancing to the championship game. It was the first NAIA championship game for any CU program.

But now the teams are starting to blossom just like the spring flowers on campus.

Lady Tiger softball wiggled its way into the Top 10 for the first time in program history this week when the Lady Tigers came in at No. 9 in the fourth regular-season edition of the 2015 NAIA Softball Coaches' Top 25 Poll.

Campbellsville is led in the circle by two of the Mid-South Conference's top pitchers. Freshman Neely Quint and junior Victoria Decker are ranked one-two inside the MSC in ERA at 1.38 and 1.44, respectively. Decker also leads the MSC in opponent's batting average (.202) and wins (12). Both have been named MSC Pitcher of the Week twice.

Lady Tiger Softball is tied atop the MSC with Lindsey Wilson with 13 wins.

The Lady Tigers are the fifth CU team to be ranked in their respective Top 10 this season, joining both wrestling and basketball programs.

Tiger baseball (20-5) is back where it belongs after missing the playoffs in 2013-14. CU comes in ranked No. 16 and is tied atop the MSC with Lindsey Wilson and St. Catharine (8-3).

Carlos Torres leads the charge being ranked No. 1 in the MSC and No. 10 in the NAIA with a .446 batting average.

Men's tennis started the year ranked No. 28 but has made a steady climb in the polls. CU sits at No. 19 and is led by senior Sebastian Marot and junior Alejandro Soriano.

The Tigers carry a 9-4 overall record and are second in the MSC at 3-1. CU has seen two Tigers be named MSC Player of the Week. Nathan Boniel picked up the honor on March 10 and newcomer Vladyslav Ladygin on March 24.

The Tigers have defeated two highly ranked teams in No. 11 William Carey, 5-4 and No. 10 Cumberland University, 7-2.

Newcomer to the NAIA polls is No. 25 women's golf. After three tournaments played this spring, the Lady Tigers have carded impressive team scores. Campbellsville sits behind No. 1 University of the Cumberlands in the conference with a team average of 327.

Sophomore Cassidy Scantland has sparked the spring push by CU after battling through injuries in the fall. She carded scores of 80-76 in the SEKI Invite to earn medalist honors and finished tied for third at the MSC Spring Invite.

Campbellsville championships:

Football – MSC West

Men's basketball – MSC regular season, MSC tournament

Women's basketball – MSC regular season, NAIA runner-up

Men's Wrestling – NAIA National Champion (Davion Caston)

Women's Wrestling – WCWA National Champions (Kayla Miracle and Tiara Scott)

Cheerleading – Three MSC Championships

Posted Friday April 10, 2015 at 04:48 pm by Campbellsville University
Last Updated Tuesday September 01, 2015 at 02:37 pm