2016 NAIA Softball Coaches? Top 25 Poll ? March 22
By Colbi Howser, Communications & Sports Information Intern
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Two-time defending national champion Auburn Montgomery (Ala.) begins the 2016 season with the No. 1 ranking, the national office announced Tuesday in the first regular-season edition of the 2016 NAIA Softball Coaches’ Top 25 Poll. The second regular-season Top 25 edition will be announced March 29.
Top 25 Highlights (historical information dates back to 2000):
• With 14-of-18 first-place votes and 495 total points, No. 1 Auburn Montgomery (Ala.) lands its fifth all-time top position.
• The Warhawks are on a 21-game win streak with their last loss played Feb. 13 against NCAA Division II Trevecca Nazarene (Tenn.)
• Oklahoma City moved up four spots to claim the No. 2 spot in the Top 25, earning the last four first place votes.
• The Stars started its season with a clean record (29-0), with most recent wins against NCAA Division II Northeastern State (Okla.), 7-2 and Central Baptist (Ark.), 5-0.
• No. 3 Saint Xavier (Ill.) makes its way into the top three after being 10th in the preseason poll.
• The Cougars are 17-2 on the season with a Top 25 opponent win, beating then-No. 25 St. Francis (Ill.), 8-5.
• No. 14 San Diego Christian (Calif.), No. 15 Morningside (Iowa) and No. 20 Freed-Hardeman (Tenn.) are all newcomers to the Top 25.
• This is the first Top 25 ranking for San Diego Christian in program history.
• Freed-Hardeman made the cut in the 2014 preseason poll, while Morningside has not been ranked since April 16, 2008.
• Other newcomers, who received votes in the 2016 preseason poll, include: No. 8 Simpson (Calif.), No. 16 Southern Oregon, No. 18 Reinhardt (Ga.), No. 21 Houston-Victoria (Texas), No. 22 Grand View (Iowa) and No. 25 Friends (Kan.).
• Simpson makes the best improvement moving up from receiving votes to No. 8.
• Eighteen different conference are represent in the Top 25 Poll.
• Oklahoma City leads all active schools with 113-straight rankings, falling no lower than 18th during that stretch, which dates back to start of 2004 season. No. 9 William Carey (Miss.) is second with 76-consecutive mentions.
• No. 4 LSU Alexandria (La.) has now been in the top 10 in 21-straight polls dating back to 2014.
• The Southern States Athletic Conference leads all leagues with three schools representing: Auburn Montgomery, No. 6 Mobile (Ala.) and No. 9 William Carey.
• Through all 10 polls last year, there were 40 different ranked teams.
• Since 2000, 12 teams have topped the poll with former member California Baptist leading the way with 46 all-time No. 1 appearances, followed by Oklahoma City at 28, Concordia with 24, former member Simon Fraser (B.C.) with 18, Thomas (Ga.) with 13, Mobile (Ala.) Auburn Montgomery with six and former member Lubbock Christian (Texas) with four.
Poll Methodology
• The poll was voted upon by a panel of head coaches representing each of the conferences and the Association of Independent Institutions.
• The Top 25 is determined by a points system based on how each voter ranks the best teams. A team receives 30 points for each first-place vote, 29 for second-place and so on through the list.
• The highest and lowest ranking for each team (a non-rating is considered a low ratings) is removed and the team’s ranking will be recalculated with an additional point added to each team for every ballot (including discounted ballots) that the teams appears on.
• Teams that receive only one point in the ballot are not considered “receiving votes”
• For the complete calendar of 2016 Top 25 Polls, click here.
2016 NAIA Softball Coaches’ Preseason Top 25 Poll – March 22
| RANK | LAST WEEK | SCHOOL (1ST PLACE VOTES) | Wins | Losses | Total Points |
| 1 | 1 | Auburn Montgomery (Ala.) (14) | 22 | 1 | 495 |
| 2 | 6 | Oklahoma City (4) | 29 | 0 | 485 |
| 3 | 10 | Saint Xavier (Ill.) | 16 | 2 | 447 |
| 4 | 11 | St. Gregory's (Okla.) | 16 | 2 | 444 |
| 5 | 8 | Campbellsville (Ky.) | 18 | 7 | 439 |
| 6 | 7 | Mobile (Ala.) | 14 | 7 | 418 |
| 7 | 4 | LSU Alexandria | 20 | 7 | 382 |
| 8 | RV | Simpson (Calif.) | 20 | 2 | 360 |
| 9 | 9 | William Carey (Miss.) | 12 | 7 | 339 |
| 10 | 21 | Georgia Gwinnett | 26 | 10 | 338 |
| 11 | 2 | Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) | 16 | 10 | 324 |
| 12 | 15 | Davenport (Mich.) | 18 | 7 | 319 |
| 13 | 16 | Southeastern (Fla.) | 20 | 8 | 315 |
| 14 | NR | San Diego Christian (Calif.) | 22 | 7 | 286 |
| 15 | NR | Morningside (Iowa) | 17 | 5 | 262 |
| 16 | RV | Southern Oregon | 15 | 7 | 260 |
| 17 | 12 | Dickinson State (N.D.) | 17 | 6 | 247 |
| 18 | RV | Reinhardt (Ga.) | 23 | 8 | 239 |
| 19 | 19 | Marian (Ind.) | 10 | 4 | 216 |
| 20 | NR | Freed-Hardeman (Tenn.) | 14 | 8 | 192 |
| 21 | RV | Houston-Victoria (Texas) | 17 | 5 | 159 |
| 22 | RV | Grand View (Iowa) | 17 | 5 | 133 |
| 23 | 17 | Corban (Ore.) | 17 | 10 | 128 |
| 24 | 23 | Lindenwood-Belleville (Ill.) | 15 | 8 | 81 |
| 25 | RV | Friends (Kan.) | 14 | 8 | 78 |
Dropped from rankings: No. 24 Indiana Wesleyan; No. 3 Oregon Tech; No. 18 Vanguard (Calif.); No. 5 Central Methodist (Mo.); No. 25 St. Francis (Ill.); No. 14 USC Beaufort (S.C.)
Others Receiving Votes: Arizona Christian 67, Rio Grande (Ohio) 63, Faulkner (Ala.) 58, Olivet Nazarene (Ill.) 54, Indiana Wesleyan 40, Concordia (Mich.) 38, Jamestown (N.D.) 26, Baker (Kan.) 23, Martin Methodist (Tenn.) 22, Menlo (Calif.) 21, Concordia (Neb.) 19, Oregon Tech 14, Vanguard (Calif.) 11, Our Lady of the Lake (Texas) 10, Kansas Wesleyan 8, Central Methodist (Mo.) 3
* Ranking taken from 2016 Preseason Top 25 (Jan. 19, 2015)
