April 14, 2010
SAN DIEGO - The San Diego State softball team is ranked 23rd of 290 teams in the first edition of the Ratings Percentage Index (RPI), released Wednesday by the NCAA. The Aztecs (25-10, 3-0 Mountain West Conference) have won 17 of their last 19 games.
The RPI is a mathematical calculation used to help determine each team's success, using a calculated strength of schedule and won-loss percentage. When determining the RPI for each team, 25 percent is based on winning percentage, 50 percent on opponents winning percentage and 25 percent on opponents' opponents' winning percentage. Although the NCAA publishes this basic formula, it does not release its bonus and penalty calculations that may sway the rankings a few spots either way.
According to the RPI, SDSU has two wins against the top-25, and is 6-5 versus the top-40, 13-9 against the top-100, 9-1 versus teams between 101 and 200, and 3-0 against schools higher than 201.
San Diego State's No. 23 rating is tops in the conference, followed by Brigham Young (No. 30), UNLV (No. 68), Colorado State (No. 104), Utah (No. 142) and New Mexico (No. 166). The Aztecs still have six (of 12) MWC games left to play against top-68 teams.
The last three times SDSU has made the NCAA Tournament, it was ranked 42nd (2009), 17th (2008) and 35th (2006) in the initial RPI.
Every team ahead of San Diego State in the RPI is nationally ranked in at least one of the two polls. The Aztecs, however, have 17 votes in the ESPN.com/USA Softball poll (tied for 26th) and just one vote in the USA Today/NFCA poll (tied for 31st).
SDSU travels to UNLV (26-14, 3-0 MWC) for a solo game Saturday beginning at 1 p.m. PT.