FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Mark Albanese, Assistant Sports Information Director, 630-637-5302
Complete Rankings

Apr. 23, 2009-- The North Central College softball team made its first appearance in the NCAA Division III Regional Rankings this week, currently sitting fifth in the Great Lakes Region.

UW-Whitewater sits atop the region with a 27-3 record (19-1 in-region) while College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin-rival Illinois Wesleyan University (24-3) is second. UW-Eau Claire (25-8) and UW-La Crosse (25-9) are third and fourth while UW-Oshkosh (16-12), Lakeland College (Wis.) (21-5) and Aurora University (23-4) round out the rankings in sixth, seventh and eighth, respectively.

The NCAA weekly ranks the top eight teams in each of the eight regions and are the primary criteria used to select the Division III Championship Field.

North Central (22-9, 9-3 CCIW) is currently riding a seven-game win streak, sweeping conference-rival Carthage 2-1 and 6-3 yesterday at Shanower Field. The Cardinals return to the diamond on Saturday, facing Augustana College at 1 p.m. in the team's final conference doubleheader of the season.