2016 NAIA Baseball Coaches’ Postseason Top 25 Poll
By Alan Grosbach, Manager of Communications and Sports Information
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – For the second-straight season, Lewis-Clark State (Idaho) ranks No. 1 in the postseason edition of the NAIA Baseball Coaches’ Top 25 Poll, the national office announced Wednesday. The Warriors, who won the 60th annual Avista-NAIA Baseball World Series last week, claimed all 15 first-place votes and 405 total points en route to their 57th top billing since 2000.
Top 25 Highlights (historical information dates back to 2000)
• Lewis-Clark State won its second-straight and 18th all-time World Series title last Friday with a 12-11 victory over Faulkner (Ala.). The contest was a rematch of the 2013 championship game, which was won by the Eagles.
• Lewis-Clark State and Faulkner combined for a NAIA World Series single-game record 11 home runs in the game. The previous record was eight set in 1987.
• The Warriors, who own the association’s longest active streak in the Top 25 at 156-consecutive polls, were ranked in the top five in every poll this season. Faulkner also boasts this distinction.
• Rounding out the top five are No. 2 Faulkner, No. 3 Bellevue (Neb.), No. 4 Tennessee Wesleyan and No. 5 Sterling (Kan.). Sterling makes the largest jump among the group, leaping four spots from its perch at No. 9 on May 13.
• Three teams have been ranked No. 1 this season: Faulkner (twice), Georgia Gwinnett (seven times) and Lewis-Clark State (twice).
• Two newcomers joined the Top 25 – No. 6 Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) and No. 11 Point (Ga.). The Blue Raiders, who were receiving votes in the final regular-season edition, won five-straight elimination games in the Lawrenceville Opening Round Bracket to make their second-straight appearance at the World Series. Lindsey Wilson went 2-2 at the 60th annual event.
• Point became the only No. 5 seed in the eight-year history of the Opening Round format to advance to Lewiston. The Skyhawks won the Savannah Opening Round Bracket.
• Among teams ranked in the final regular-season poll, The Master’s (Calif.) highlights the positive movement, vaulting 16 spots from No. 24 to No. 8. The Mustangs won the Santa Barbara Opening Round Bracket and posted a 1-2 record at the World Series.
• Conversely, former No. 1 Georgia Gwinnett dropped a poll-high nine spots to No. 10.
• Middle Georgia State (No. 17), Texas Wesleyan (No. 21) and Wayland Baptist (Texas) (No. 23) fell out of the Top 25.
• The Golden State Athletic Conference, Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference, Southern States Athletic Conference and The Sun Conference lead all leagues with three teams represented each.
• Outside of Lewis-Clark State, 10 other teams have been ranked No. 1 in at least two polls: Oklahoma City (32), former member Lubbock Christian (Texas) (13), former member Embry-Riddle (Fla.) (11), Faulkner (10), Georgia Gwinnett (8), LSU Shreveport (La.) (6), former member Lee (Tenn.) (6), Cumberland (6) and Tennessee Wesleyan (2).
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 Top 25 calendar, click
here.
2016 NAIA Baseball Coaches’ Top 25 Postseason Poll (June 8)
| RANK |
PRVS^ |
SCHOOL (1ST PLACE VOTES) |
RECORD |
TOTAL POINTS |
| 1 |
4 |
Lewis-Clark State (Idaho) (15) |
50-8 |
405 |
| 2 |
3 |
Faulkner (Ala.) |
53-15 |
392 |
| 3 |
2 |
Bellevue (Neb.) |
54-12 |
379 |
| 4 |
5 |
Tennessee Wesleyan |
50-15 |
366 |
| 5 |
9 |
Sterling (Kan.) |
52-16 |
352 |
| 6 |
RV |
Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) |
44-25 |
335 |
| 7 |
6 |
Auburn Montgomery (Ala.) |
46-17 |
323 |
| 8 |
24 |
The Master's (Calif.) |
42-19 |
316 |
| 9 |
11 |
Science & Arts (Okla.) |
48-13 |
301 |
| 10 |
1 |
Georgia Gwinnett |
57-6 |
287 |
| 11 |
NR |
Point (Ga.) |
35-30 |
257 |
| 12 |
10 |
Missouri Baptist |
45-15 |
249 |
| 13 |
8 |
USC Beaufort (S.C.) |
44-14 |
245 |
| 14 |
12 |
York (Neb.) |
46-17 |
241 |
| 15 |
7 |
Westmont (Calif.) |
42-13 |
231 |
| 16 |
13 |
Tabor (Kan.) |
45-18 |
209 |
| 17 |
15 |
Campbellsville (Ky.) |
38-15 |
193 |
| 18 |
14 |
Jamestown (N.D.) |
52-11 |
185 |
| 19 |
16 |
Vanguard (Calif.) |
40-17-1 |
179 |
| 20 |
T25 |
William Carey (Miss.) |
40-21 |
157 |
| 21 |
22 |
St. Thomas (Fla.) |
38-22 |
144 |
| 22 |
18 |
Madonna (Mich.) |
41-17 |
130 |
| 23 |
T25 |
Keiser (Fla.) |
40-22 |
104 |
| 24 |
19 |
IU Southeast (Ind.) |
42-13 |
95 |
| 25 |
20 |
Freed-Hardeman (Tenn.) |
41-19 |
88 |
Dropped from Top 25: Middle Georgia State (No. 17); Texas Wesleyan (No. 21); Wayland Baptist (Texas) (No. 23)
Others receiving votes: Texas Wesleyan 82; Davenport (Mich.) 62; Wayland Baptist (Texas) 55; Middle Georgia State 51; Central Methodist (Mo.) 23; Midland (Neb.) 14; Central Baptist (Ark.) 12; Taylor (Ind.) 10; Rio Grande (Ohio) 3.