Francis Marion University moved up one position to 12th in this week's National Fast-Pitch Coaches Association (NFCA)/GoRout NCAA Division II Top 25 coaches poll.
The 37-10 Patriots will conclude their regular-season schedule on Saturday (Apr. 18) with a Conference Carolinas doubleheader at Ferrum College in Ferrum, Va. First pitch is set for 2 p.m.
With a 21-5 conference mark, FMU is currently first in the KPI rankings, the metric used to decide seeding for the conference tournament that will be held Apr. 23-26 at Tyger River Park in Duncan, S.C. Francis Marion has already captured its third consecutive East Division title.
In the latest NCAA Division II statistical rankings, graduate student right-hander
Jenna Walling leads the nation in wins (24-6 record), innings pitched (191.2), complete games (26), and games started (28), while ranking fourth in strikeouts (182), ninth in saves (4), and 10th in earned run average (1.46).
Offensively, senior left fielder
Anderson Thrower ranks 14th in hits (64), while senior shortstop
Madalyn White is 25th in on-base percentage (.545), 26th in batting average (.466), and 28th in stolen bases (27-of-29).
Walling and White were previously named to the 2026 NFCA Division II Pitcher and Player of the Year watch lists.
As a team, Francis Marion ranks fifth in strikeout-to-walk ratio (3.61), sixth in WHIP (1.08), ninth in team ERA (1.92), 17th in fewest hits allowed per seven innings (5.86), 20th in fielding percentage (.972), and 21st in hits (381).
Francis Marion has averaged 42 wins per season over the past five campaigns and has been to the NCAA Tournament each of the past four years.
