Oct. 7, 2008
CHICAGO - For the second straight season, Loyola University Chicago's softball program has ranked among the top teams in the nation in grade-point average. The Ramblers just missed cracking the top ten in the National Fastpitch Coaches Association GPA rankings, which were released last week, but were still designated a NFCA Girls Got Game All-Academic Team.
A year ago, the Ramblers ranked among the top ten teams in the nation in grade-point average with a 3.432, good for ninth among 277 NCAA Division I softball-sponsoring institutions. Head coach Yvette Healy's team compiled a 3.401 GPA in 2007-08 to rank first among all Horizon League schools. The Ramblers just missed cracking the top ten by the slimmest of margins as Bucknell owned a 3.402 GPA last academic year to claim the tenth spot.
Tennessee Tech earned the top spot among Division I schools with a 3.540 GPA.
Loyola, which won 22 contests a year ago, opens the 2009 season at the Islander Invitational hosted by Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, Feb. 20-22.