Defending National Champion California Baptist No. 1 in Softball Coaches' Top 25 Preseason Poll
Feb. 2, 2010
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Defending national champion California Baptist has been tabbed as the No. 1 team in the NAIA Softball Coaches’ Top 25 Preseason Poll, the NAIA announced Tuesday. The Lancers were the unanimous pick, earning all 23 first-place votes and tallying 653 points. Dickinson State (N.D.) is listed second with 629 points. Oklahoma City and Point Loma Nazarene (Calif.) are tied for third with 594 points and Lubbock Christian rounds out the top-five teams with 549 points.
No. 1 California Baptist returns 12 starters from its 2009 national championship team, including 2009 NAIA Pitcher of the Year, Tory Ferreira. Ferreira became the first pitcher in NAIA history to go undefeated and have at least 20 wins, as a freshman. The 2009 NAIA National Championship MVP Ashley Boyd returns for her senior season. The senior shortstop set school single-season records for home runs (16), hits (100), runs scored (82) and total bases (178). The Lancers finished last season with a school record 61 wins, on their way to winning the school’s first softball championship.
No. 22 Auburn Montgomery (Ala.), No. 23 Savannah College of Art and Design (Ga.) and No. 25 McKendree (Ill.) all make an appearance in the poll after finishing the 2009 season unranked.
Four conferences, Golden State Athletic Conference, Sooner Athletic Conference, Southern States Athletic Conference and Association of Independent Institutions, each have three teams listed in the initial poll for the 2010 season.
The poll was voted upon by a panel of head coaches representing each of the conferences. The first regular-season poll will be announced on March 23.
RANK | POLL^ | SCHOOL (1ST PLACE VOTES) | 2009 RECORD | TOTAL POINTS |
1 | 1 | California Baptist University (23) | 61-5 | 653 |
2 | 3 | Dickinson State University (N.D.) | 42-5 | 629 |
3 | 6 | Oklahoma City University | 53-9 | 594 |
3 | 4 | Point Loma Nazarene University (Calif.) | 48-13 | 594 |
5 | 2 | Lubbock Christian University (Texas) | 54-7 | 549 |
6 | 5 | William Carey University (Miss.) | 42-7 | 540 |
7 | 8 | Bethel College (Ind.) | 52-7 | 518 |
8 | 9 | Martin Methodist College (Tenn.) | 43-13 | 483 |
9 | 11 | Simon Fraser University (B.C.) | 20-13 | 471 |
10 | 7 | Saint Gregory's University (Okla.) | 45-15 | 446 |
11 | 14 | Concordia University (Calif.) | 41-21 | 428 |
12 | 18 | Shorter College (Ga.) | 44-16 | 421 |
13 | 12 | University of Houston - Victoria (Texas) | 32-15 | 413 |
14 | 13 | Madonna University (Mich.) | 53-11 | 388 |
15 | 23 | College of Idaho | 34-16 | 340 |
16 | 16 | Lee University (Tenn.) | 39-14 | 309 |
17 | 24 | Saint Xavier University (Ill.) | 32-19 | 290 |
18 | 17 | University of Mobile (Ala.) | 32-12 | 268 |
19 | 25 | Notre Dame College (Ohio) | 34-11 | 263 |
20 | 20 | California State University-San Marcos | 34-23 | 254 |
21 | 21 | William Penn University (Iowa) | 40-18 | 245 |
22 | NR | Auburn University Montgomery (Ala.) | 31-22 | 152 |
23 | NR | Savannah College of Art and Design (Ga.) | 22-18 | 133 |
24 | 19 | Campbellsville University (Ky.) | 40-7-1 | 124 |
25 | NR | McKendree University (Ill.) | 30-17 | 123 |
Others receiving votes: Evangel University (Mo.) 103; Marian University (Ind.) 86; Azusa Pacific University (Calif.) 77; Brenau University (Ga.) 73; Georgetown College (Ky.) 64; Morningside College (Iowa) 59; Bellevue University (Neb.) 59; Southern Oregon University 40; Union University (Tenn.) 32; Warner University (Fla.) 25; Grand View University (Iowa) 19; Robert Morris University (Ill.) 18; Belhaven University (Miss.) 14; Rogers State University (Okla.) 13; Holy Names University (Calif.) 11; Milligan College (Tenn.) 11; Concordia University (Ore.) 11; Bethany College (Kan.) 10; Columbia College (Mo.) 7; Northwood University (Texas) 4; Central Methodist University (Mo.) 4; Midland Lutheran College (Neb.) 3; Bethel University (Tenn.) 1; Ottawa University (Kan.) 1; Indiana University Southeast 1; Lindenwood University (Mo.) 1; Hastings College (Neb.) 1; Bacone College (Okla.) 1; Friends University (Kan.) 1; Asbury College (Ky.) 1.
^May 5, 2009
