2017 NAIA Softball Coaches’ Top 25 Poll — March 21 (No. 1)
By: Chad Waller, Director of Athletics Communications and Media
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — As the only undefeated team in NAIA softball, Oklahoma City controls the No. 1 position in the first regular-season edition of the 2017 NAIA Softball Coaches’ Top 25 Poll, announced Tuesday by the national office. The Stars have now been ranked first in nine-straight polls, dating back to the middle of the 2016 season. The second regular-season Top 25 will be announced Tuesday, April 4.
Top 25 Highlights (historical information dates back to 2000):
• Oklahoma City gathered all 19 first-place votes and 529 points. The Stars are a perfect 30-0 on the year heading into a doubleheader against Mount Mercy (Iowa) on Tuesday.
• Including today, the Stars have been ranked No. 1 in 17 of the previous 21 polls dating back to the 2015 first regular-season edition.
• Oklahoma City ranks No. 1 statistically in four categories: total runs (240), total RBIs (211), opponent batting average (.136) and ERA (0.570).
• The Stars capped their 2016 season by winning their ninth overall national championship on June 2.
• Oklahoma City recorded a 67-3 mark last year, marking the fourth-straight year with at least 50 wins.
• Oklahoma City and No. 25 Science & Arts (Okla.) are the only teams to hold their position from the preseason Top 25.
• William Carey (Miss.) moved up eight positions to earn the No. 2 ranking with 509 points.
• Columbia (Mo.) makes the biggest splash as a newcomer this week and enters in at the No. 3 slot.
• No. 4 Marian (Ind.) and No. 5 Georgia Gwinnett close out the top five teams.
• This edition sees nine different newcomers, including: Columbia (Mo.), No. 8 Brenau (Ga.), No. 9 Thomas (Ga.), No. 16 St. Francis (Ill.), No. 17 Vanguard (Calif.), No. 18 Southern Oregon, No. 21 Mobile (Ala.), No. 23 Hope International (Calif.) and No. 25 Science & Arts.
• Oklahoma City leads all active schools with 123-straight rankings, falling no lower than 18th during that stretch, which goes back to the start of the 2004 season. William Carey is second with 86-consecutive mentions. Next in line for consecutive streaks is Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) at 47.
• By falling out of the Top 25 today, St. Gregory’s had previously claimed the third-longest active streak with 49 rankings.
• Former member California Baptist tops the charts of most all-time No. 1 mentions with 46. Oklahoma City is second all-time with 37, followed by former member Concordia (Calif.) with 24, former member Simon Fraser (B.C.) with 18 and Thomas (Ga.) with 13.
• In 10 polls last year, there were 41 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”
• Frequency of polls occur bi-weekly. This policy was approved by the National Administrative Council (NAC) for the 2016-17 academic season. This change will allow raters the opportunity to consider a larger body of work in between rating periods.
• For the complete calendar of 2017 Top 25 Polls, click here.
2017 NAIA Softball Coaches’ Top 25 Poll – March 21
| RANK | LAST WEEK^ | SCHOOL (1ST PLACE VOTES) | 2017 RECORD | TOTAL POINTS |
| 1 | 1 | Oklahoma City (19) | 30-0 | 529 |
| 2 | 10 | William Carey (Miss.) | 27-2 | 509 |
| 3 | NR | Columbia (Mo.) | 17-2 | 473 |
| 4 | 7 | Marian (Ind.) | 13-1 | 455 |
| 5 | 13 | Georgia Gwinnett | 24-5 | 437 |
| 6 | 12 | Campbellsville (Ky.) | 17-7 | 434 |
| 7 | 15 | Davenport (Mich.) | 20-2 | 419 |
| 8 | NR | Brenau (Ga.) | 29-5 | 403 |
| 9 | NR | Thomas (Ga.) | 25-6 | 399 |
| 10 | 9 | Morningside (Iowa) | 18-5 | 392 |
| 11 | 8 | Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) | 16-7 | 345 |
| 12 | 16 | Reinhardt (Ga.) | 25-9 | 309 |
| 13 | 22 | LSU Alexandria | 24-6 | 307 |
| 14 | 6 | Simpson (Calif.) | 17-5 | 297 |
| 15 | 3 | Southeastern (Fla.) | 22-9 | 296 |
| 16 | NR | St. Francis (Ill.) | 16-2 | 256 |
| 17 | NR | Vanguard (Calif.) | 27-7 | 255 |
| 18 | NR | Southern Oregon | 21-4 | 246 |
| 19 | 5 | Williams Baptist (Ark.) | 12-6 | 235 |
| 20 | 17 | Grand View (Iowa) | 15-5 | 177 |
| 21 | NR | Mobile (Ala.) | 19-8 | 168 |
| 22 | 19 | Oregon Tech | 15-5 | 165 |
| 23 | NR | Hope International (Calif.) | 21-5 | 139 |
| 24 | 24 | Rio Grande (Ohio) | 15-6 | 132 |
| 25 | NR | Science & Arts (Okla.) | 22-11 | 110 |
Dropped from rankings: No. 2 Saint Xavier (Ill.), No. 4 St. Gregory’s (Okla.), No. 11 Webber International (Fla.), No. 18 Houston-Victoria (Texas), No. 20 Central Methodist (Mo.), No. 21 Dickinson State (N.D.), No. 23 Park (Mo.), No. 25 San Diego Christian (Calif.).
Others Receiving Votes: Georgetown (Ky.) 108; Indiana Wesleyan 98; Friends (Kan.) 82; Corban (Ore.) 56; Lindenwood-Belleville (Ill.) 45; Bellevue (Neb.) 44; Aquinas (Mich.) 36; Coastal Georgia 23; Houston-Victoria (Texas) 21; USC Beaufort (S.C.) 15; Avila (Mo.) 8; Central Methodist (Mo.) 7; St. Gregory's (Okla.) 5; Concordia (Neb.) 3.
^ Ranking from 2017 Preseason Top 25 Poll (Jan. 17, 2017)
