LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The Valdosta State softball team sits ninth in the newest National Fastpitch Coaches Association Top 25, released Wednesday morning.  
 
Augustana (S.D.) enters its sixth-straight week at the top spot in the poll, while North Georgia sits second and Gulf South Conference champion, Auburn Montgomery moves to third.  Oklahoma Christian is fourth, while Lincoln Memorial rounds out the top five. 
 
UT Tyler (Texas) is sixth, followed by Indianapolis, Young Harris, VSU and Texas A&M-Commerce rounds out the top ten.  Alabama Huntsville sits 14^th in the poll, while Rollins is 21^st and Tampa and West Florida are among others receiving votes.
 
The newest NCAA Region rankings should be announced later this afternoon by the NCAA.  Check back with vstateblazers.com for further updates.
 
VSU sits at 34-8 overall and went 25-5 in Gulf South Conference play this season to earn a share of the GSC regular season title with Auburn Montgomery.  The Blazers struggled offensively last weekend in the conference tournament in Oxford, Ala., but junior Nicole Pennington leads the nation in home runs with 23, while the team went 2-2 in the league tournament  The Blazers as a team have hit 95 home runs this second for tops in the nation, second in school history in home runs for a season and tied for third all-time in GSC history for single season home runs.
 
VSU will host the NCAA South Regional, May 19-22 at Steel's Diamond at Blazer Park.  Check back with vstateblazers.com later this week for ticket information on the regional.  The NCAA Division II Softball Selection Show is scheduled for Sunday, May 16 at 10 p.m. ET and streamed live on NCAA.com.
 
The Blazers have gone 18-1 this season in the friendly confines of Steel's Diamond at Blazer Park and will be hosting the regional for the eighth time in program history (2007, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2015 and 2016).  VSU is 56-38 all-time in the NCAA Tournament in 18 appearances with one national championship (2012) and two runner-up finishes (2010 & 2014).  Should the Blazers qualify for the NCAA postseason in 2021, it would mark the 15^th-straight trip (no 2020 championship due to COVID-19).