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2005 Final Records:
19-3 MIAC, 37-12 Overall


Cardinals open season No. 15 in NFCA Top 25 poll

1. St. Thomas (7)
2. Salisbury State
3. Chapman (1)
4. Muskingum
5. Ithaca
6. William Patterson
7. Washington U.
8. Williams
9. Rutgers-Camden
10. North Central
15. Saint Mary's
WINONA, Minn. —  After closing out the 2005 season with a bang — placing third in the NCAA Division III Seed 1 Regional with a 2-2 record — the Saint Mary's University fastpitch softball team made its first appearance in the National Fastpitch Coaches Association Top 25 poll, landing the No. 17 spot in the final poll of the season.

The coaches aren't waiting until the end of the season this time around, as the Cardinals landed the No. 15 spot in the NFCA Preseason Poll, which was released Wednesday.

Two-time defending champion and Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference rival St. Thomas landed the top spot, garnering seven of a possible eight first-place votes. Chapman, which is third in the preseason poll, received the other first-place vote.

The Cardinals and Tommies are the only MIAC teams to make the Top 25, but SMU does face four teams ranked in the preseason poll. Along with an April 8 MIAC showdown vs. St. Thomas, SMU also faces No. 3 Champan and No. 9 Rutgers-Camden (twice) at the Sun West (Calif.) Tournament in mid-March and No. 16 UW-Eau Claire on April 30.