Tigers Finish Season Ranked 22nd in USA Softball Top 25

June 16, 2005
  
AUBURN * After finishing with a school-record 50 wins, the Auburn softball team is ranked 22nd in the final ESPN.com/USA Softball Top 25 Poll of the 2005 season, it was announced Thursday.

The Tigers finished the 2005 season with a 50-18 record, and hosted their first-ever NCAA Regional at Jane B. Moore Field. Auburn finished second in the Southeastern Conference's Western Division, forcing Alabama to clinch first place on the second-to-last day of the regular season.

Auburn began the season receiving votes in the poll, and jumped into the top 25 on April 12, debuting at No. 24. The Tigers were ranked as high as 20th on May 17.

It is the second straight season the Tigers ended the season ranked in the top 25 of the USA Softball poll. After finishing 42-18 in 2004, head coach Tina Deese's club was ranked 20th to end the 2004 campaign.

Michigan, after taking 2-of-3 games from UCLA to win the National Championship last week, is No. 1 in the 2005 final poll. The Wolverines are followed by No. 2 UCLA, No. 3 Tennessee, No. 4 Texas and No. 5 Arizona. Seventh-ranked Alabama and No. 10 Georgia fill out other clubs from the SEC in the top 25.