INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – For the second straight week UVa-Wise softball is ranked No. 7 in the NCAA Division II Atlantic Region with the third release of the regional rankings Wednesday afternoon. Five different Mountain East Conference schools remain ranked in the Atlantic Region.
 
West Chester University out of the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference remains atop the Atlantic Region with a 40-10 overall record against Division II opponents and a 39-8 mark versus in-region teams. Conference rival West Virginia Wesleyan (40-6) checks in at No. 2 once again with a 35-5 in-region record, while Kutztown University (30-13) is No. 3 for the third consecutive week.
 
Some shakeup occurred with other MEC teams as Shepherd University (35-18) jumped from sixth to fourth and Concord University (28-26) slipped from No. 6 last week to No. 8. The University of Charleston (33-17), who was ranked fourth in the last two regional rankings, fell one spot to No. 5.
 
Bloomsburg University (28-15) out of the PSAC made a leap from eighth a week ago to No. 6, while the PSAC's Shippensburg University (26-21) and California University of Pennsylvania (21-15) round out the Atlantic Region rankings.
 
The Cavaliers (31-15), who have won 10 straight and 13 of their last 14, own a 29-15 record against in-region teams. UVa-Wise has a total of six wins against teams ranked in the Atlantic Region after sweeping Concord in a MEC home doubleheader a week ago. The Cavs split home doubleheaders with both Shepherd and West Virginia Wesleyan, who is up to No. 7 in the nation according to the latest National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) poll. UVa-Wise also went 2-2 in a pair of doubleheaders against Charleston this season. In non-conference play the Cavs earned a 3-1 road win at Lenoir-Rhyne University, who is ranked No. 5 in the Southeast Region and 13th in the nation.
 
UVa-Wise has earned the No. 2 South Division seed in the 2017 MEC Softball Tournament held at the James I. Moyer Sports Complex in Salem, Virginia, this Friday-Sunday, May 5-7. The Cavs will take on No. 3 North Division seed Notre Dame College Friday at 2:30 p.m. in the first round.
 
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