PINEVILLE - It wasn't exactly worst to first, but the Louisiana College softball team did manage to move from unranked in the initial National Fastpitch Coaches Association poll three weeks ago to No. 1 in a matter of one month.

Wednesday, when the NFCA released its fourth poll of the season, the 18-0 Lady Wildcats, who last weekend won the NFCA's NCAA Division III Leadoff Classic Tournament in Panama City, Fla., earned all eight first-place votes to move up two spots from No. 3 to No. 1

LC leapfrogged fellow American Southwest Conference East Division team Texas-Tyler, whom the Lady Wildcats defeated 5-3 at the Leadoff Classic, to get to the nation's top spot.

Also in the top five was yet another ASC East team ... East Texas Baptist, the team LC defeated 10-1 in the Leadoff Classic Championship game, which checked in at No. 3.

Messiah, which did not participate in the Leadoff Classic, and Christopher Newport, a team that did, rounded out the top 5.

The ASC East Division remains the best-represented division, let alone conference, in the polls with four teams in the top 10 - LC, Texas-Tyler and ETBU in the top three slots and Mississippi College at No. 9.

And, as fate would have it with four teams from one division in the top 10, Lady Wildcat fans might get the chance to see a No. 1 vs. No. 2 battle next Wednesday at 4 p.m. should both LC and Texas-Tyler maintain their spots atop the NFCA poll.

The Lady Cats and Lady Patriots will square off in a doubleheader on that day at Coca-Cola lady Wildcat Field on the campus of Louisiana College in Pineville.

The complere NFCA poll for the week is as follows:
1 Louisiana College
2 Texas-Tyler
3 East Texas Baptist
4 Messiah
5 Christopher Newport
6 Cortland State
7 Luther
8 Augustana
9 Mississippi College
10 Ohio Northern
11 Linfield
12 Wisconsin-Whitewater
13 Capital
14 Brandeis
15 Central
16 Ursinus
16 Washington-St. Louis
18 Willamette
19 Coast Guard
20 Coe
21 Salisbury
22 Illinois Wesleyan
23 Virginia Wesleyan
24 Lake Forest
24 Rhode Island College
Others receiving votes:
Point totals in parentheses: Gustavus Adolphus (18); DePauw (16); St. Thomas (15); Alma (15); Defiance (13); Moravian (13); Lakeland (12); Redlands (10); William Paterson (10); Rowan (4); five others received votes but appeared on only one ballot.
Dropped out:
No. 9 Gustavus Adolphus; No. 19 Tufts; No 23 Alma; No. 24 DePauw; No. 25 Hardin Simmons.