KANSAS CITY, Mo. – After yet another dominant year on the diamond by the Cascade Collegiate Conference, four teams ranked as the national office released the NAIA Softball Coaches’ Top 25 Preseason Poll on Wednesday.
Oregon Tech was unanimously chosen as the No. 1 team, receiving all 19 first place votes. OIT finished as the NAIA World Series runner-up to the National Champions of Southern Oregon University, who took the No. 2 spot. College of Idaho landed at No. 13 after making an opening round appearance. Eastern Oregon University rounded out the poll at No. 24.
2024 NAIA Softball Coaches’ Top 25 Preseason Poll
| RANK |
LAST TIME |
SCHOOL [FIRST PLACE VOTES] |
RECORD |
POINTS |
| 1 |
1 |
Oregon Tech [19] |
54-10 |
529 |
| 2 |
4 |
Southern Oregon |
50-12 |
506 |
| 3 |
3 |
Cumberlands (Ky.) |
49-5-1 |
491 |
| 4 |
8 |
Georgia Gwinnett |
45-12 |
452 |
| 5 |
9 |
Marian (Ind.) |
52-9 |
450 |
| 6 |
10 |
Science & Arts (Okla.) |
42-15 |
449 |
| 7 |
2 |
Our Lady of the Lake (Texas) |
51-8 |
431 |
| 8 |
15 |
Central Methodist (Mo.) |
42-12 |
403 |
| 9 |
5 |
Oklahoma City |
48-11 |
389 |
| 10 |
RV |
Midland (Neb.) |
41-15 |
377 |
| 11 |
7 |
Baker (Kan.) |
47-12 |
354 |
| 12 |
13 |
Mobile (Ala.) |
40-15 |
347 |
| 13 |
6 |
College of Idaho |
49-10 |
344 |
| 14 |
16 |
Indiana Wesleyan |
40-15 |
301 |
| 15 |
12 |
Northwestern (Iowa) |
47-10 |
280 |
| 16 |
16 |
Middle Georgia State |
43-14 |
263 |
| 17 |
14 |
Ottawa (Kan.) |
42-11 |
261 |
| 18 |
18 |
Coastal Georgia |
42-12 |
241 |
| 19 |
23 |
Hope International (Calif.) |
41-16 |
183 |
| 20 |
21 |
Freed-Hardeman (Tenn.) |
27-15 |
178 |
| 21 |
RV |
Reinhardt (Ga.) |
37-13 |
161 |
| 22 |
20 |
Southeastern (Fla.) |
33-18 |
159 |
| 23 |
22 |
William Carey (Miss.) |
39-14 |
157 |
| 24 |
NR |
Saint Xavier (Ill.) |
37-14 |
113 |
| 24 |
24 |
Eastern Oregon |
33-19 |
113 |
Receiving Votes: Campbellsville (Ky.) 96, Bellevue (Neb.) 60, Truett McConnell (Ga.) 60, Grand View (Iowa) 52, Mount Vernon Nazarene (Ohio) 43, Concordia (Mich.) 41, Friends (Kan.) 36, Indiana Southeast 22, Madonna (Mich.) 21, Embry-Riddle (Ariz.) 21, Arizona Christian 9, Indiana Tech 7, St. Francis (Ill.) 6, Mount Mercy (Iowa) 5
Rating Methodology:
- The rating was voted upon by a panel of head coaches representing each of the conferences and the Continental Athletic Conference (Independents).
- 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”
- For the complete Top 25 calendar, click here.