KANSAS CITY, Mo. – With six first-place votes, Oklahoma City rose to the top spot in the latest edition of the NAIA Softball Coaches’ Top 25. The Stars (25-2) narrowly edged Oregon Tech (33-6) by a single point to take the top spot. Mobile (Ala.) garnered eight first-place votes this week and landed at No. 3 thanks in large part to a spotless 32-0 record. The Rams also made the biggest jump of the week, up three spots from the second edition two weeks prior. Freed-Hardeman (Tenn.) (33-3) and Science & Arts (Okla.) (29-6) rounded-out the top five.
Poll Methodology
- The poll 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”
- 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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2022 NAIA Softball Coaches’ Top 25 Poll
April 6, 2022
| RANK | LAST WEEK | SCHOOL [1st Place Votes] | RECORD | FINAL POINTS |
| 1 | 2 | Oklahoma City [6] | 25-2 | 510 |
| 2 | 1 | Oregon Tech [5] | 33-6 | 509 |
| 3 | 6 | Mobile (Ala.) [8] | 32-0 | 499 |
| 4 | 3 | Freed-Hardeman (Tenn.) | 33-3 | 488 |
| 5 | 4 | Science & Arts (Okla.) | 29-6 | 458 |
| 6 | 5 | College of Idaho | 28-6 | 451 |
| 7 | 7 | William Carey (Miss.) | 32-5 | 426 |
| 8 | 9 | Indiana Wesleyan | 25-5 | 405 |
| 9 | 8 | Southern Oregon | 29-9 | 392 |
| 10 | 10 | Coastal Georgia | 29-4 | 376 |
| 11 | 11 | Central Methodist (Mo.) | 17-4 | 375 |
| 12 | 13 | Grand View (Iowa) | 17-5 | 326 |
| 13 | 14 | Texas A&M Texarkana | 25-7 | 318 |
| 14 | 15 | Georgia Gwinnett | 25-13 | 287 |
| 15 | 17 | Cumberlands (Ky.) | 26-12 | 285 |
| 16 | 18 | Aquinas (Mich.) | 22-4 | 264 |
| 17 | 12 | Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) | 24-10 | 253 |
| 18 | 16 | Marian (Ind.) | 18-5 | 247 |
| 19 | 20 | Madonna (Mich.) | 16-2 | 198 |
| 20 | 19 | Southeastern (Fla.) | 28-7 | 196 |
| 21 | 21 | Columbia (Mo.) | 16-10 | 167 |
| 22 | 22 | Ottawa (Kan.) | 19-8-1 | 160 |
| 23 | NR | Embry-Riddle (Ariz.) | 26-2 | 135 |
| 24 | RV | Tennessee Wesleyan | 24-3 | 122 |
| 24 | 25 | Saint Xavier (Ill.) | 15-5 | 122 |
Dropped from the Top 25: Morningside (Iowa), William Jessup (Calif.)
Others Receiving Votes: Morningside (Iowa) 107, William Jessup (Calif.) 99, Vanguard (Calif.) 45, Our Lady of the Lake (Texas) 30, Mount Vernon Nazarene (Ohio) 30, St. Ambrose (Iowa) 26, Rio Grande (Ohio) 26, Cottey (Mo.) 18, Bellevue (Neb.) 17, Eastern Oregon 15, Oklahoma Panhandle State 11, MidAmerica Nazarene (Kan.) 7, Midland (Neb.) 5, Webber International (Fla.) 5, Brenau (Ga.) 5, Campbellsville (Ky.) 3.
- Courtesy of the NAIA
