KANSAS CITY, Mo. – In the first poll of 2021 Southern Oregon University returns to the top spot in the preseason edition of the Top-25 for the 2021 season, released Wednesday by the NAIA office. Science & Arts (Okla.) garnered one first-place vote in the No. 2 spot while Lindsey Wilson (Ky.), Oklahoma City and Marian (Ind.) rounded-out the top-five.
SOU grabbed 15 first-place votes to start the season as the top-ranked team, leading four Cascade Collegiate Conference teams garnering points. College of Idaho starts the season as the No. 17-ranked team, while Corban University begins the year at No. 23. Oregon Tech is receiving votes, sitting outside the top-25.
2021 NAIA Softball Coaches’ Top-25 Preseason Poll (January 13, 2021)
| RANK |
PREVIOUS WEEK |
SCHOOL [1st-Place Votes] |
2020 RECORD |
POINTS |
| 1 |
NR |
Southern Oregon [15] |
23-3 |
494 |
| 2 |
NR |
Science & Arts (Okla.) [1] |
25-2 |
482 |
| 3 |
NR |
Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) |
12-1 |
460 |
| 4 |
NR |
Oklahoma City |
18-3 |
446 |
| 5 |
NR |
Marian (Ind.) |
10-2 |
430 |
| 6 |
NR |
Columbia (Mo.) |
12-2 |
424 |
| 7 |
NR |
Mobile (Ala.) [1] |
14-4 |
408 |
| 8 |
NR |
Vanguard (Calif.) |
19-7 |
381 |
| 9 |
NR |
Truett-McConnell (Ga.) |
14-3 |
362 |
| 10 |
NR |
Georgia Gwinnett |
12-9 |
332 |
| 11 |
NR |
Campbellsville (Ky.) |
12-7 |
317 |
| 12 |
NR |
William Carey (Miss.) |
14-3 |
301 |
| 13 |
NR |
Hope International (Calif.) |
18-9 |
284 |
| 14 |
NR |
Olivet Nazarene (Ill.) |
18-6 |
275 |
| 15 |
NR |
Indiana Wesleyan |
9-9 |
271 |
| 16 |
NR |
Central Baptist (Ark.) |
15-2 |
264 |
| 17 |
NR |
College of Idaho |
13-7 |
235 |
| 18 |
NR |
Grand View (Iowa) |
6-3 |
221 |
| 19 |
NR |
Warner (Fla.) |
19-3 |
210 |
| 20 |
NR |
Morningside (Iowa) |
15-6 |
194 |
| 21 |
NR |
Reinhardt (Ga.) |
18-10 |
163 |
| 22 |
NR |
Saint Xavier (Ill.) |
13-3 |
143 |
| 23 |
NR |
Corban (Ore.) |
15-5 |
118 |
| 24 |
NR |
Indiana Southeast (Ind.) |
19-2-1 |
115 |
| 25 |
NR |
Webber International (Fla.) |
18-6 |
94 |
| |
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Receiving Votes: Madonna (Mich.) 79, Houston-Victoria (Texas) 77, Taylor (Ind.) 73, Georgetown (Ky.) 45, Baker (Kan.) 40, McPherson (Kan.) 36, Simpson (Calif.) 28, Concordia (Neb.) 23, Lyon (Ark.) 17,
Oregon Tech 15, Ave Maria (Fla.) 14, Dickinson State (N.D.) 11, St. Francis (Ill.) 7, Arizona Christian 6, Bellevue (Neb.) 4
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 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.