By: Scott Barker, Communications and Sports Information Intern

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — For the first time this season, Oklahoma City captures the No. 1 spot in the third regular-season edition of the 2016 NAIA Softball Coaches’ Top 25 Poll, announced Tuesday by the national office. The next Top 25 edition will be announced April 12.

Top 25 Highlights (historical information dates back to 2000):
• Oklahoma City is in the top spot for the first time since May 7, 2015. The Stars (36-1) received 13 first-place votes and 524 points.
• The Stars now stand with 29 all-time No. 1 rankings, which is second most on the all-time charts. Former member California Baptist is first with 46 No. 1 mentions.
• Two-time defending national champion and No. 2-ranked Auburn Montgomery (Ala.) (32-3) received the final six first-place votes to go along with 517 points.
• No. 3 St. Gregory’s (Okla.) (25-3), No. 4 Saint Xavier (Ill.) (21-3) and No. 5 Campbellsville (Ky.) (30-7) rounds out the top five.
• No. 13 Martin Methodist (Tenn.) is ranked for the first time since April 27, 2010 and finds itself in the top 15 for the first time since Feb. 2, 2010.
• No. 19 Oregon Tech and No. 22 Williams Baptist (Ark.) join Martin Methodist as the three newcomers in this week’s installment.
• Williams Baptist was last ranked Jan. 21, 2014. Oregon Tech was ranked No. 3 in the 2016 preseason poll.
• No. 18 Arizona Christian moved up seven spots to highlight the positive movement in the Top 25.
• No. 17 Mobile (Ala.) and No. 24 San Diego Christian (Calif.) fell ten spots each, which marked the biggest fall in the poll.
• Oklahoma City leads all active schools with 115-straight rankings, falling no lower than 18th during that stretch, since the start of the 2004 season. William Carey (Miss.) is second with 78-consecutive mentions. Next in line for consecutive streaks is Auburn Montgomery at 44-straight; St. Gregory’s at 42 and Lindsey Wilson at 39.
• No. 6 LSU Alexandria (La.) has now been in the top 10 in 23-straight polls dating back to 2014.
• Seventeen of 19 conferences are represented in the poll this week.
• The Southern States Athletic Conference leads all leagues with four schools representing: Auburn Montgomery, No. 7 William Carey, Martin Methodist and Mobile. Overall, six conferences send multiple schools into the Top 25.
• Through four polls this year (including Preseason), there have been 37 different ranked teams.

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’ Top 25 Poll – April (No. 3)

Dropped from rankings: Freed-Hardeman (Tenn.) (No. 18), Corban (Ore.) (No. 23) and Lindenwood-Belleville (Ill.) (No. 24)

Others Receiving Votes: Freed-Hardeman (Tenn.) 89; Friends (Kan.) 79; Evangel (Mo.) 74; Rio Grande (Ohio) 72; Corban (Ore.) 45; Indiana Wesleyan 41; Lindenwood-Belleville (Ill.) 19; Science & Arts (Okla.) 12; Menlo (Calif.) 6; Valley City State (N.D.) 4.