Bulldog squads all over national rankings in spring team sports

(See below a correction that the TLU Men's Track & Field Team is ranked 15th nationally, not 37th.)

SEGUIN, Texas -- Texas Lutheran Baseball and Softball each sport top-15 national rankings in the latest respective polls for their sports, and TLU Men's Golf, Men's Track & Field,and Women's Track & Field boast high national rankings for individuals and teams.

TLU Baseball, the top seed for this weekend's Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference Championship, holds a No. 9 ranking in the D3baseball.com/National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association Top 25 and a No. 12 ranking in the American Baseball Coaches Association/Collegiate Baseball NCAA D3 Baseball Poll.

The Bulldogs are 29-10 overall and shared the SCAC regular-season championship with Trinity after both teams went 14-4 in league play. TLU is the tournament top seed after winning two of three games from Trinity in their conference series in San Antonio.

The Bulldogs are fifth in the latest D3 West Region rankings.

TLU opens the SCAC tournament at 1 p.m. Friday against No. 4 seed Southwestern. The Bulldogs took two of three games from the Pirates in the regular-season series in Seguin. Southwestern's win over TLU came with right-hander Austin Smith tossing a complete game. Smith is expected to get the start on the mound Friday.

TLU Softball (30-7) moved up two spots to No. 11 in this week's National Fastpitch Coaches Association poll for D3 softball. The Bulldogs are off this weekend after going 3-0 at the SCAC Championship tournament and winning their sixth consecutive SCAC title.

The Bulldogs are headed to a yet-to-be determined NCAA Regional destination on May 10-11. TLU learns its NCAA playoff location and schedule at noon Monday.

TLU moved up a spot in the latest D3 Softball West Region rankings. The Bulldogs are now third.

TLU Men's Track & Field, fresh off a third-straight SCAC Championship, is the top-ranked team in the South/Southeast Region, according to a United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association ranking.

TLU Women's Track & Field holds a No. 6 ranking in the USTFCCCA regional listing.

The Bulldog Men are 15th in the USTFCCCA national ranking. The TLU Women are 30th.

TLU Men's Track & Field individuals in the top 20 for events are: Darren Jones (6th in 100), Paris Foster (12th in 100), Jones (15th in 200), Connor Thompson (10th in 400), Foster (12th in 110 hurdles), and Garrett Garza (3rd in shot put).

TLU Women's Track & Field individuals in the top 20 are: Ashley Myers (13th, 100), Ashley Rynard (5th, 800), Cortnee Priour (6th, triple jump), and Tia Hart (16th, javelin).

In the current Bushnell Golfweek Coaches Poll, TLU Men's Golf is just two spots outside of the Top 25. The Bulldogs have been ranked in the Top 25 this year, as high as No. 24. TLU is 28th in the latest GolfStat statistical national ranking.

The Bulldogs are seventh in the latest West Region rankings and have an outside shot at a bid to the NCAA Championships.

If the Bulldogs don't receive a team invitational to the national tournament, SCAC individual champion Colin Uecker has a good shot at an individual bid. Uecker is 10th in the lastest GolfStat individual rankings with an adjusted scoring average of 71.79.

Uecker, who has won five tournaments this year, is 11-0 head-to-head against players ranked in the Top 50.

The Bulldogs learn their NCAA golf fates on Monday.