KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Georgia Gwinnett collected all 19 first-place votes and is the unanimous No. 1 in the 2018 NAIA Softball Coaches' Top 25 Poll. Holding the top spot for the third consecutive week, the Grizzlies (35-2) are unanimous for the first time in program history.
Georgia Gwinnett has won 16-straight heading into its doubleheader on Tuesday at home against Reinhardt. The Grizzlies are a perfect 22-0 at home in 2018.
Second-ranked Marian (Ind.) and third-ranked Science & Arts (Okla.) switched spots, while No. 4 Campbellsville stayed put and No. 5 Oklahoma City returned to the top five.
No. 8 Vanguard (Calif.) is the first NAIA team to reach the 40-win threshold. The Lions (41-6) achieved it on April 7 against San Diego Christian (Calif.). The only newcomer this week – No. 22 (tie) Grand View (Iowa) – is on a seven-win streak. The Vikings (20-4) were ranked in the first regular-season and preseason polls.
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.
2018 NAIA Softball Coaches’ Top 25 Poll – Poll No. 3 (April 10, 2018)
| RANK | LAST WEEK^ | SCHOOL (1ST PLACE VOTES) | 2018 RECORD | TOTAL POINTS |
| 1 | 1 | Georgia Gwinnett (19) | 35-2 | 529 |
| 2 | 3 | Marian (Ind.) | 23-1 | 503 |
| 3 | 2 | Science & Arts (Okla.) | 36-3 | 497 |
| 4 | 4 | Campbellsville (Ky.) | 29-4 | 482 |
| 5 | 6 | Oklahoma City | 32-5 | 463 |
| 6 | 15 | Hope International (Calif.) | 34-4 | 429 |
| 7 | 13 | Mobile (Ala.) | 31-8 | 388 |
| 8 | 5 | Vanguard (Calif.) | 41-6 | 384 |
| T9 | 14 | Southern Oregon | 29-9 | 380 |
| T9 | 11 | Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) | 29-6 | 380 |
| 11 | 12 | Indiana Wesleyan | 30-5 | 375 |
| 12 | 9 | William Carey (Miss.) | 26-8 | 332 |
| 13 | 7 | Corban (Ore.) | 23-8 | 318 |
| 14 | 10 | Thomas (Ga.) | 25-9 | 315 |
| 15 | 8 | Columbia (Mo.) | 16-9 | 285 |
| 16 | 16 | Jamestown (N.D.) | 29-6 | 281 |
| 17 | 18 | Central Methodist (Mo.) | 23-4 | 276 |
| 18 | 21 | Faulkner (Ala.) | 31-7 | 228 |
| 19 | 17 | St. Francis (Ill.) | 16-6 | 220 |
| 20 | 22 | Warner (Fla.) | 26-9 | 217 |
| 21 | 19 | Brenau (Ga.) | 20-11 | 177 |
| T22 | NR | Grand View (Iowa) | 20-4 | 141 |
| T22 | 24 | Oregon Tech | 24-9 | 141 |
| 24 | 20 | Ottawa (Kan.) | 24-10 | 122 |
| T25 | 25 | Morningside (Iowa) | 15-8 | 86 |
| T25 | 23 | Baker (Kan.) | 25-6 | 86 |
Others Receiving Votes: Rio Grande (Ohio) 61; Valley City State (N.D.) 58;Olivet Nazarene (Ill.) 53; Southeastern (Fla.) 43; Georgetown (Ky.) 31; Texas Wesleyan 28; Aquinas (Mich.) 19; Freed-Hardeman (Tenn.) 16; LSU Alexandria (La.) 12; St. Ambrose (Iowa) 9; Cumberland (Tenn.) 6; Northwestern (Iowa) 3.
Dropped Out: None
^ Previous ranking occurred March 27, 2018 (Poll No. 2)
-- Courtesy of NAIA
