Concordia Softball Receives Record Ranking
NAIA Softball Poll
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Opening the year with a 15-1 record, the Concordia softball team picked up 511 votes for a No. 8 ranking in the first regular season NAIA Softball Coaches' Top 25 Poll, the NAIA announced Tuesday.
Aided by a pair of wins over Simon Fraser (No. 10, 483), the Cavaliers made the biggest leap in the softball rankings from the preseason edition released on Feb. 2. Concordia moved up 32 places after receiving just 11 votes in the initial poll.
The ranking represents the highest ever received for Concordia. After opening with an 11-1 record last year, the Cavs started the season ranked No. 15 and topped off at No. 14 in the NAIA poll released on March 24, 2009.
Joining the Cavaliers from the Cascade Collegiate Conference was The College of Idaho (No. 29, 54 votes). The defending conference champions and preseason CCC favorites, C of I (4-6) fell out of the top 25 after coming in at No. 15 in the preseason poll.
A unanimous pick, California Baptist was tabbed as the top-ranked team in the Coaches' Top 25 Poll, the NAIA announced Tuesday. The Lancers earned all 24 first-place votes for 684 points. Point Loma Nazarene (Calif.) was ranked second with 655 points, followed by No. 3 Lubbock Christian (Texas) with 641 points, No. 4 Bethel (Ind.) with 575 points and No. 5 Lee (Tenn.) with 566.
California Baptist has occupied the top spot for the last nine polls dating back to March 24, 2009. The Lancers have been awarded all possible first-place votes on five occasions during that stretch, including both polls in the 2010 season.
There are three teams in the poll that have only lost one game, led by the 35-1 record of California Baptist. No. 4 Bethel sports a 14-1-1 mark and No. 8 Concordia (Ore.) is 15-1. The Lancers are the only Top 25 team to surpass 30 wins so far this season, while 10 other ranked clubs have already racked up 20-or more victories.
The poll was voted upon by a panel of head coaches representing each of the conferences. The next poll will be announced on March 30.