2023 NAIA Softball Coaches’ Top 25 Final Poll (May 3, 2023)
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Oregon Tech continued as the top team in the nation in the final NAIA Softball Top 25 of 2023. The Owls received 17 first place votes. Hot on their heels are the Saints of Our Lady of the Lake (Texas). The Saints grabbed the final two, first place votes with a 42-4 record heading into the week. Cumberlands (Ky.), Southern Oregon and Oklahoma City all remained in order at Nos. 3-5. Indiana Wesleyan and Campbellsville (Ky.) both improved four spots in the final edition, the largest jump of any school.
Poll Methodology
- The poll was voted upon by a panel of head coaches representing each of the conferences and the Continental Athletic Conference (Independents).
- 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.
2023 NAIA Softball Coaches’ Top 25 Final Poll (May 3, 2023)
| RANK | LAST WEEK | SCHOOL [1st Place Votes] | RECORD | FINAL POINTS |
| 1 | 1 | Oregon Tech [17] | 43-6 | 528 |
| 2 | 2 | Our Lady of the Lake (Texas) [2] | 42-4 | 512 |
| 3 | 3 | Cumberlands (Ky.) | 42-3 | 496 |
| 4 | 4 | Southern Oregon | 40-9 | 472 |
| 5 | 5 | Oklahoma City | 40-8 | 464 |
| 6 | 8 | College of Idaho | 43-6 | 429 |
| 7 | 7 | Baker (Kan.) | 41-7 | 419 |
| 8 | 11 | Georgia Gwinnett | 37-9 | 400 |
| 9 | 10 | Marian (Ind.) | 42-6 | 396 |
| 10 | 9 | Science & Arts (Okla.) | 34-13 | 392 |
| 11 | 6 | Texas A&M Texarkana | 31-8 | 358 |
| 12 | 12 | Northwestern (Iowa) | 43-6 | 336 |
| 13 | 15 | Mobile (Ala.) | 36-11 | 326 |
| 14 | 16 | Ottawa (Kan.) | 40-7 | 304 |
| 15 | 17 | Central Methodist (Mo.) | 34-10 | 281 |
| 16 | 13 | Middle Georgia State | 38-12 | 268 |
| 16 | 20 | Indiana Wesleyan | 39-11 | 268 |
| 18 | 21 | Coastal Georgia | 37-10 | 233 |
| 19 | 23 | Campbellsville (Ky.) | 28-14-1 | 226 |
| 20 | 17 | Southeastern (Fla.) | 31-14 | 196 |
| 21 | 14 | Freed-Hardeman (Tenn.) | 24-11 | 175 |
| 22 | 19 | William Carey (Miss.) | 38-12 | 173 |
| 23 | 22 | Hope International (Calif.) | 36-12 | 140 |
| 24 | 24 | Eastern Oregon | 31-17 | 123 |
| 25 | 25 | Mount Vernon Nazarene (Ohio) | 31-14 | 94 |
Dropped from the Top 25: N/A
Others Receiving Votes: Reinhardt (Ga.) 80, Indiana Tech 63, Cottey (Mo.) 59, Friends (Kan.) 58, Missouri Baptist 29, Mount Mercy (Iowa) 23, Embry-Riddle (Ariz.) 21, Truett McConnell (Ga.) 16, Midland (Neb.) 12, St. Francis (Ill.) 11, Bellevue (Neb.) 11, Mid-America Christian (Okla.) 4, Grand View (Iowa) 4, Arizona Christian 3, Oklahoma Wesleyan 3, Indiana Southeast 3.
