HARROGATE, Tenn. – Achieving yet another program first just under two weeks until the 2021 NCAA Division II Southeast Regional Tournament, the Lincoln Memorial University softball team has been named the #1 seed in the region behind an overall record of 36-6, as the full list of rankings was unveiled on Wednesday evening.

With the Southeast Regionals scheduled for May 19^th-21^st at host institution North Georgia in Dahlonega, the Lady Railsplitters, currently ranked 5^th in the latest National Fastpitch Coaches Association Poll, will endure a 24-day layoff between their last appearance on April 25^th, where they advanced to the South Atlantic Conference Tournament Championship round for the first time in program history.

After being labeled one of eight teams in the region under consideration for qualifying in the double-elimination tournament at UNG, the blue and gray just edged out the hosting Nighthawks for the top spot in the first official rankings, followed closely behind by another Peach Belt Conference adversary in Young Harris who clocks in at #3. Four other SAC schools join the Lady Railsplitters in the first of two official rankings before the Selection Show, all appearing consecutively at 4-7 on the list. Anderson, league tournament champion Tusculum, Catawba, and Carson-Newman populate those segments of the rankings ahead of #8 seed UNC Pembroke who rounds out the selection for the time being.

Of the other seven teams included in Wednesday's Southeast Regional poll, LMU has already battled five of them, with North Georgia and UNC Pembroke being the only schools within the list that are unfamiliar to the Lady Railsplitters. Head Coach Ritchie Richardson's squad possesses a 9-3 record against the qualifying teams beneath them, splitting with both Young Harris and Catawba, sweeping Carson-Newman and Anderson (including a third win over the Eagles in the SAC Tournament Semifinals), and a conference title game defeat at the hands of Tusculum after sweeping the Pioneers earlier in the semester.

The placement of the eight teams is not finalized, as the NCAA will release an updated Top 8 next Wednesday, May 12^th, followed by the official Division II Softball Championship Selection Show four days later at 10:00 p.m. on the 16^th.

Two seasons back, the Lady Railsplitters polished off their highest win total for a single year in the history of the program by advancing to the Southeast Super Regionals in 2019. Cementing their deepest postseason run of all-time, the blue and gray ousted SAC foes Wingate, Carson-Newman, and Anderson in Jefferson City, Tenn., ultimately dropping a best-two-out-of-three series to Young Harris in Harrogate. LMU was unable to compete in the 2020 edition of the Southeast Regionals due to its cancellation in the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak, where they were well on their way to potentially securing a bid for the second year in a row.

The Lady Railsplitters won't have to worry about sliding down the ladder ahead of the opening round, thanks to their first ever #1 seed which they will hold on to for at least the next seven days. Kutztown, Augustana (S.D.), Georgian Court, UIndy, Oklahoma Christian, Alabama Huntsville, and Concordia (Calif.) join Lincoln Memorial as the other seven schools across the country to also grab a #1 seed in their respective regions.

As of Wednesday night, the SAC and Conference Carolinas stand as the only two of the 17 leagues throughout the NCAA Division II level to have completed their conference tournament brackets, with the majority of those matchups being held over the next week. Due to this, the second and final unveiling of the regional poll could be vastly shaken up should unforeseen outcomes occur around the country similar to Tusculum running the table in the SAC tourney as the #6 seed to steal an automatic bid to the big dance.

North Georgia and Young Harris (the 2^nd and 3^rd-ranked teams in the region behind LMU) roll into the PBC Tournament as the highest favorites to take home the league's postseason prize, which could lead to a shift in the Lady Railsplitters' placement in the poll next Wednesday depending on the results of the Nighthawks' and Mountain Lions' developments this weekend in Dahlonega.

While LMU awaits their official Southeast Regional seed 11 days from now, the complete list of all eight Regional rankings can be found below:
 
Atlantic Region
1. Kutztown (28-10)
2. Shepherd (25-10)
3. West Chester (24-12)
4. East Stroudsburg (26-12)
5. West Virginia State (26-12)
6. Seton Hill (28-10)
7. Charleston (West Virginia) (30-12)
8. Shippensburg (22-18)
 
Central Region
1. Augustana (South Dakota) (36-4)
2. Central Oklahoma (32-10)
3. Minnesota State Mankato (28-7)
4. Southern Arkansas (23-7)
5. Central Missouri (30-10)
6. Rogers State (30-13-1)
7. Winona State (31-8)
8. Southeastern Oklahoma (34-7)
 
East Region
1. Georgian Court (32-4)
2. Saint Anselm (24-4)
3. Molloy (28-12)
4. Adelphi (24-6)
5. New Haven (25-5)
6. Dominican (New York) (21-13)
7. Franklin Pierce (19-7)
8. Caldwell (19-10-1)
 
Midwest Region
1. UIndy (37-5)
2. Grand Valley State (35-7)
3. Northwood (25-12)
4. Hillsdale (29-15)
5. Saginaw Valley State (27-12)
6. Trevecca Nazarene (22-10)
7. Ohio Dominican (24-16)
8. McKendree (23-11)
 
South Central Region
1. Oklahoma Christian (34-6)
2. Angelo State (31-11)
3. Texas A&M-Commerce (25-14)
4. West Texas A&M (30-10)
5. Colorado Mesa (34-2)
6. Texas A&M-Kingsville (22-10)
7. Texas A&M-International (24-17)
8. Lubbock Christian (27-16)
 
South Region
1. Alabama Huntsville (30-10)
2. Auburn Montgomery (35-5)
3. Valdosta State (32-6)
4. Rollins (16-2)
5. West Florida (30-12)
6. University of Tampa (15-4)
7. Palm Beach Atlantic (17-12)
8. West Georgia (23-14)
 
Southeast Region
1. Lincoln Memorial (36-6)
2. North Georgia (35-5)
3. Young Harris (30-9)
4. Anderson (South Carolina) (29-11)
5. Tusculum (22-17)
6. Catawba (28-11)
7. Carson-Newman (22-12)
8. UNC Pembroke (24-12)
 
West Region
1. Concordia (California) (22-11)
2. Biola (17-11)
3. Northwest Nazarene (22-8)
4. Western Washington (17-11)
5. Hawaii Hilo (13-8)
6. Central Washington (15-14)
7. Dominican (California) (16-16)
8. Chaminade (12-12)
 
How to Follow
 
Stay tuned to LMURailsplitters.com, as well as LMU's social media platforms —@LMURailsplitter on Twitter, @LMURailsplitters on Facebook and @lmurailsplitters on Instagram — for more LMU softball coverage across the 2021 season.