The American Rivers Conference champion Central College softball team checked in at No. 24 in this week’s NFCA Division III Top 25 Coaches Poll.    

The Dutch, who hold an overall record of 28-9, slipped from No. 20 in last week’s rankings. Central clinched at least a share of the regular season conference title with a doubleheader split with Nebraska Wesleyan on Sunday, before claiming the outright league crown with a twinbill split with Loras College Monday afternoon. In the latest rankings, Linfield University in Oregon moved up from No. 2 to No.1, while Salisbury University Maryland dropped from No.1 to No. 3. The Dutch were the lone team from the American Rivers Conference that was featured in this week’s rankings. 

Central plays host to the six-team single-elimination conference tournament Friday and Saturday at the A.N. Kuyper Athletics Complex softball field. The Dutch open their tournament run with a 12:30 p.m. game on Saturday, facing the winner of Friday’s game between fifth-seeded Simpson College and fourth-seeded Nebraska Wesleyan University.