INDIANAPOLIS – The University of South Carolina Aiken softball team is ranked fifth in the inaugural NCAA Division II Softball Southeast Region Rankings.

The region rankings were released on Wednesday by the Southeast Region selection committee. The rankings are used to determine the region participants from the Southeast Region for the 2012 NCAA Division II Softball Championship.

Eight teams from the Southeast Region will receive an invitation to the NCAA Division II Softball Championship. An automatic bid is given to the winner of the Peach Belt Conference, the South Atlantic Conference and Conference Carolinas. The next five highest ranked teams will earn an at-large berth into the national tournament.

The NCAA Division II Southeast Regional, which will be unveiled during the official NCAA selection show on Monday, April 30, will feature two four-team regionals. 

USC Aiken is one of seven Peach Belt Conference teams in the first Southeast Region rankings of the year. North Georgia is currently first followed by Armstrong Atlantic State in second. Augusta State is just ahead of USC Aiken in fourth. 

Flagler is currently sixth in the region poll, while Francis Marion (eighth) and Columbus State (ninth) are the final two PBC teams in the first region tally of the year. 

NCAA Division II Softball

Southeast Region Rankings

1          North Georgia         

2          Armstrong Atlantic State    

3          Lenoir-Rhyne          

4          Augusta State          

5          USC Aiken   

6          Flagler          

7          Catawba       

8          Francis Marion        

9          Columbus State     

10       Carson-Newman

NCAA Division II Region Rankings (4/11) - Click Link to Access