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)