By: Chad Waller, Director of Communications and Sports Information

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — With the most wins in the NAIA at 44-1, Oklahoma City claims the top raking in the fourth regular-season edition of the 2016 NAIA Softball Coaches’ Top 25 Poll, announced Tuesday by the national office. The fifth regular-season Top 25 edition will be announced April 19.

Top 25 Highlights (historical information dates back to 2000):
• Oklahoma City holds the No. 1 ranking for the second-straight week and 30th time overall. The Stars stand second on the all-time list of No. 1 rankings trailing former member California Baptist by 16 (46).
• The Stars collected 17 first-place votes and 528 total points.
• Oklahoma City leads the NAIA in total wins (44) and is on a 15-game win streak.
• Oklahoma City does battle Tuesday with No. 2-ranked St. Gregory’s (Okla.). Both clubs have a single loss in Sooner Athletic Conference action, but St. Gregory’s holds a two-game edge with a 19-1 league mark compared to 15-1 for the Stars. The Cavaliers handed Oklahoma City its only loss of the year back on March 22.
• With 506 total points, St. Gregory’s boasts its highest ranking in school history. The Cavaliers are sporting a 16-game win streak. During that stretch, they have posted 10-or-more runs in six games.
• Sliding down one spot is No. 3 Auburn Montgomery (ala.). The defending national champion corralled the remaining two-first-place votes.
• No. 4 Campbellsville (Ky.) and No. 5 Saint Xavier (Ill.) flip positions from last week. Both programs have been in the top five in each of the last four polls.
• No. 18 Southern Oregon enjoys the best jump within the Top 25, improving seven spots. The Raiders have won seven of their last eight contests to improve to 28-12 overall.
• No. 24 Oregon Tech falls five positions for the largest tumble.
• No. 23 Brenau (Ga.) is the lone rookie this week. The Tigers, who stand 21-16 on the year, are ranked for the first time since March 17, 2015 (No. 21). Brenau is on a five-game winning streak after sweeping defending national champion and No. 3 Auburn Montgomery on April 9.
• No. 9 LSU Alexandria (La.) has now been in the top 10 in 24-straight polls dating back to 2014.
• Oklahoma City leads all active schools with 116-straight rankings, falling no lower than 18th during that stretch, which goes back to the start of the 2004 season. William Carey (Miss.) is second with 79-consecutive mentions. Next in line for consecutive streaks is Auburn Montgomery at 45-straight; St. Gregory’s at 43 and Lindsey Wilson at 40.
• Former member California Baptist tops the charts of most all-time No. 1 mentions with 46. Oklahoma City is second all-time with 30, followed by former member Concordia (Calif.) with 24, Simon Fraser (B.C.) with 18 and Thomas (Ga.) with 13.
• 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. 6 William Carey, No. 13 Martin Methodist (Tenn.) and Brenau. Overall, six conferences send multiple schools into the Top 25.
• Through five polls this year (including Preseason), there have been 38 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 12 (No. 4)

Dropped from rankings: No. 17 Mobile (Ala.).

Others Receiving Votes: Rio Grande (Ohio) 109; Friends (Kan.) 72; Mobile (Ala.) 66; Indiana Wesleyan 63; Corban (Ore.) 39; Lindenwood-Belleville (Ill.) 24; Evangel (Mo.) 21; Menlo (Calif.) 8; Georgetown (Ky.) 8; Indiana Southeast 6; Doane (Neb.) 6; Concordia (Neb.) 5; Our Lady of the Lake (Texas) 3; Science & Arts (Okla.) 3; Bellevue (Neb.) 3.