KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Mobile (Ala.) moved to the top spot in the first regular season edition of the NAIA Softball Top 25. The Rams garnered 16 of the 19 first place votes. Indiana Wesleyan rose four spots to No. 2 while Freed-Hardeman (Tenn.) also jumped into the top five at No. 3. Texas A&M Texarkana, one of five newcomers this week made its 2023 debut at No. 4 as Oregon Tech rounded-out the top five. Cumberlands (Ky.) made the biggest movement of the week, up 11 spots to No. 13.
Poll Methodology
- The poll is 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”
- 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
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-- Courtesy of NAIA
2023 NAIA Softball Coaches’ Top 25 Poll
(March 8, 2023)
| RANK | LAST WEEK | SCHOOL [1st Place Votes} | RECORD | FINAL POINTS |
| 1 | 2 | Mobile (Ala.) [16] | 13-2 | 527 |
| 2 | 6 | Indiana Wesleyan | 5-1 | 476 |
| 3 | 5 | Freed-Hardeman (Tenn.) | 5-3 | 462 |
| 4 | RV | Texas A&M Texarkana [1] | 15-0 | 454 |
| 5 | 7 | Oregon Tech | 12-5 | 452 |
| 6 | 1 | Oklahoma City [2] | 13-5 | 435 |
| 7 | 15 | Our Lady of the Lake (Texas) | 16-4 | 415 |
| 8 | 3 | Science & Arts (Okla.) | 9-5 | 406 |
| 9 | 10 | Southern Oregon | 12-4 | 398 |
| 10 | NR | Baker (Kan.) | 13-2 | 385 |
| 11 | 14 | Georgia Gwinnett | 13-4 | 369 |
| 12 | 13 | College of Idaho | 16-2 | 342 |
| 13 | 24 | Cumberlands (Ky.) | 17-2 | 333 |
| 14 | 11 | Grand View (Iowa) | 14-3 | 294 |
| 15 | 12 | William Carey (Miss.) | 12-4 | 283 |
| 16 | 4 | Southeastern (Fla.) | 7-8 | 267 |
| 17 | NR | Northwestern (Iowa) | 16-0 | 252 |
| 18 | 9 | Tennessee Wesleyan | 5-3 | 233 |
| 19 | NR | Ottawa (Kan.) | 13-3 | 201 |
| 20 | 8 | Central Methodist (Mo.) | 8-4 | 189 |
| 21 | 19 | Eastern Oregon | 12-6 | 187 |
| 22 | NR | Middle Georgia State | 14-2 | 181 |
| 23 | 17 | Marian (Ind.) | 1-1 | 170 |
| 24 | 20 | Campbellsville (Ky.) | 10-6-1 | 130 |
| 25 | 18 | Coastal Georgia | 9-4 | 128 |
Dropped from the Top 25: Jessup (Calif.), Midland (Neb.), Columbia (Mo.), Webber International (Fla.), Saint Xavier (Ill.)
Others Receiving Votes: Jessup (Calif.) 116, Truett McConnell (Ga.) 75, Oklahoma Wesleyan 73, Hope International (Calif.) 61, Midland (Neb.) 33, Mount Vernon Nazarene (Ohio) 23, St. Francis (Ill.) 23, Bellevue (Neb.) 17, Michigan-Dearborn 17, Missouri Baptist 14, Reinhardt (Ga.) 7, Mid-America Christian (Okla.) 7, Vanguard (Calif.) 6, St. Mary of the Woods (Ind.) 3, Arizona Christian 3.
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