2020-21 NAIA Softball Coaches’ Top 25 – Final Poll (May 5)
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Raiders of Southern Oregon went wire to wire as the No. 1 team in the nation. The defending national champions claimed 18 first-place votes for a total of 529 final points in the final NAIA Softball Coaches’ Poll Top 25. Rounding out the top five was Oklahoma City, Science & Arts (Okla.), Central Methodist (Mo.) and Lindsey Wilson (Ky.).
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 rating) 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 appear on.
- Teams that receive only one point on the ballot are not considered “receiving votes”
- The frequency of the polls is bi-weekly. This policy was approved by the National Administrative Council (NAC) prior to the 2016-17 academic season. This change allows raters the opportunity to consider a larger body of work between rating periods.
- For the complete Top 25 calendar, click here.
2021 NAIA Softball Coaches’ Top 25 - Final Poll (May 5, 2021)
| RANK | LAST WEEK | SCHOOL [1ST PLACE VOTES] | RECORD | FINAL POINTS |
| 1 | 1 | Southern Oregon [18] | 45-3 | 529 |
| 2 | 2 | Oklahoma City [1] | 39-3 | 512 |
| 3 | 3 | Science & Arts (Okla.) | 44-6 | 493 |
| 4 | 5 | Central Methodist (Mo.) | 48-5 | 471 |
| 5 | 4 | Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) | 37-7 | 464 |
| 6 | 7 | Indiana Wesleyan | 40-6 | 438 |
| 7 | 9 | Columbia (Mo.) | 30-5 | 423 |
| 8 | 10 | Georgia Gwinnett | 28-10 | 400 |
| 9 | 12 | Marian (Ind.) | 43-11 | 362 |
| 10 | 13 | William Carey (Miss.) | 39-9 | 357 |
| 11 | 8 | Hope International (Calif.) | 27-7 | 343 |
| 12 | 15 | Olivet Nazarene (Ill.) | 28-4 | 338 |
| 13 | 11 | Morningside (Iowa) | 40-7 | 323 |
| 14 | 14 | Saint Xavier (Ill.) | 29-2 | 306 |
| 15 | 23 | College of Idaho | 35-14 | 299 |
| 16 | 17 | Campbellsville (Ky.) | 37-11 | 291 |
| 17 | 6 | Oregon Tech | 38-8 | 273 |
| 18 | 16 | Freed-Hardeman (Tenn.) | 37-9 | 257 |
| 19 | 18 | Central Baptist (Ark.) | 27-11 | 204 |
| 20 | 21 | Ottawa (Kan.) | 37-5 | 193 |
| 21 | 25 | Reinhardt (Ga.) | 41-13 | 189 |
| 22 | NR | Grand View (Iowa) | 37-9 | 163 |
| 23 | 22 | Truett McConnell (Ga.) | 31-14 | 143 |
| 24 | 24 | Cumberlands (Ky.) | 41-16 | 110 |
| 25 | NR | Midland (Neb.) | 32-7 | 109 |
Receiving Votes: Valley City State (N.D.) 84, Webber International (Fla.) 67, Rio Grande (Ohio) 58, Milligan (Tenn.) 47, Vanguard (Calif.) 33, Coastal Georgia (Ga.) 23, Mount Vernon Nazarene (Ohio) 18, Warner (Fla.) 13, Faulkner (Ala.) 12, Concordia (Neb.) 10, Cottey (Mo.) 10, Taylor (Ind.) 7, Madonna (Mich.) 7, Indiana Southeast (Ind.) 7, Mid-America Christian (Okla.) 4, Simpson (Calif.) 4, Jamestown (N.D.) 3
