EVANSVILLE, Ind.—The University of Southern Indiana softball team is ranked 24th in the latest NFCA Division II Top 25 and remained second in the NCAA II Great Lakes Regional Rankings.

USI (35-14, 17-5 GLVC) closed the regular-season by winning 21 of its last 23 games and enters the GLVC Tournament as the number two seed.

This marks the first time that the Screaming Eagles have been ranked in the top 25 since the 1999 season when they were ranked 14th, nationally.

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville was the only other GLVC or Great Lakes Region team that was ranked in the top 25 poll. The Cougars, who are first in the regional rankings, are fourth in the national poll.

Gannon University, the University of Indianapolis, and Wayne State University rounded out the top five in the region while Northern Kentucky University, Lewis University, and Northwood University were sixth, seventh, and eighth, respectively. West Virginia Wesleyan College and Alderson-Broaddus College completed the top 10 in the regional rankings.

The Eagles open the GLVC Tournament Friday against Saint Joseph's College. First pitch is slated for noon.

NFCA Division II Top 25 Poll

Rk Team (first-place votes)
1. Humboldt State (7)
2. Emporia State
3. Florida Southern
4. SIU-Edwardsville
5. Lock Haven
6. Midwestern State
Cal State Bakersfield
8. Nebraska-Omaha
9. Columbus State
10. Barry
11. Georgia College & State
12. Caldwell
13. Abilene Christian
14. Cal State Dominguez Hills
15. Bloomsburg
16. C.W. Post
17. Alabama-Huntsville
18. SE Oklahoma St.
19. Gannon
20. San Francisco State
21. Shippensburg
22. Wingate
23. Washburn
24. Southern Indiana
25. Florida Gulf Coast

Others receiving votes:
Lenoir-Rhyne 9, Adelphi 7, Regis 7, NW Missouri St. 5, Northwood (Mich.) 1.

Dropped out:
No. 16 Lenoir-Rhyne, No. 18 Northwood (Mich.)