Softball Debuts at No. 6 in First NCAA West Region Poll of Year

The Toros debuted at No. 6 in the first NCAA region poll of the year

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. -- Coming off its first-ever Tournament of Champions Gold Bracket title and winning three of four at Cal State East Bay last weekend, the Cal State Dominguez Hills Toros debuted at No. 6 in the first NCAA West Region poll of the year, it was announced by the NCAA.

These polls come with just two series left in the regular season, with the Toros three games back of the fourth and final spot to qualify for the CCAA Championship Tournament.

The NCAA selection committee will select the top eight teams in each region that qualify for the NCAA postseason, with each region split up into two four-team double-elimination regionals. The winners of each regional then move onto a super-regional the following week, with that survivor of the best-of-3 series qualifying for the NCAA Softball Championships that begin May 23, in Salem, Virginia.

CCAA league leader and NFCA No. 6 Humboldt State tops the region, with Grand Canyon next, followed by No. 16 Sonoma State, No. 21 St. Martin's, and Dixie State preceding the Toros, and the University of Hawai'i Hiilo, UC San Diego, Hawai'i Pacific and Notre Dame de Namur following the Toros and rounding out the top 10.

CSUDH is led offensively by junior sensation Adriana Sanchez, currently hitting .422 with 15 home runs and a whopping .837 slugging percentage.

Sanchez's offense is bolstered by the pitching of senior Stephanie Jimenez, who has earned a pair of CCAA Pitcher of the Week nods and who earned MVP honors at the Tournament of Champions and boasts a 1.53 ERA with 148 strikeouts against just 36 walks.

The Toros travel to Seaside to take on Cal State Monterey Bay for a key four-game league series starting Friday before winding up the regular season at home next weekend.

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