For the first time since the preseason of the 2016 campaign, Western Kentucky’s softball team received votes in the latest USA Today/NCFA DI Top 25 Coaches Poll.

The Hilltoppers are one of 12 teams receiving votes in the Tuesday poll and the only Conference USA representative listed.

In the first six weeks of the season, WKU has put together a 17-9 record overall and picked up a conference series victory at Southern Miss over the weekend before taking on No. 8 LSU and South Alabama most recently.

The Hilltopper offense owns a collective batting average of .305 while leading Conference USA in runs (146), doubles (47), triples (10), RBIs (126), total bases (322), slugging percentage (.475), walks drawn (95) and on-base percentage (.396). WKU’s 1.81 doubles per game ranks fifth in the nation.

WKU will resume its conference slate this weekend as Middle Tennessee visits for a three-game series. The Hilltoppers will play a doubleheader at 1 p.m. Saturday. The series finale will be at 1 p.m. Sunday.