KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Defending national champion Oklahoma City will begin the 2017 campaign in the same position it ended last year – at No. 1. The Stars hold the No. 1 ranking in the NAIA Softball Coaches’ Preseason Top 25 Poll, announced by the national office. The top billing is the eighth-straight overall for Oklahoma City dating back to the middle of the 2016 season. The first regular-season Top 25 will be announced Tuesday, March 21.
Top 25 Highlights (historical information dates back to 2000):
• The unanimous pick with all 19 first-place votes, Oklahoma City landed 529 total points. The Stars have been ranked No. 1 in 16 of the previous 20 polls dating back to the 2015 first regular-season edition.
• The Stars capped their 2016 season by winning their ninth overall national championship on June 2 against Saint Xavier (Ill.) by a 5-0 score.
• Oklahoma City recorded a 67-3 mark last year, marking the fourth-straight year with at least 50 wins.
• The Stars begin their season Feb. 10 at the Cowtown Classic in Fort Worth, Texas.
• Second-ranked and national runner-up Saint Xavier gathered 529 points. The Cougars competed in their first-ever NAIA Softball World Series title game last year.
• No. 3 Southeastern (Fla.) and No. 4 St. Gregory’s (Okla.) both moved up one spot from the 2016 postseason edition.
• No. 5 Williams Baptist (Ark.) rounds out the top five. The Eagles hold their highest ranking since the 2014 Preseason Top 25 edition when they were fourth.
• No. 8 Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) enjoys the most positive movement within the ranking with a four-spot hike.
• Two newcomers – No. 17 Grand View (Iowa) and No. 25 San Diego Christian (Calif.) – check in to the Top 25. Both clubs were ranked multiple times during the 2016 season.
• Eighteen of the 19 conferences are represented in the poll. Seven leagues send the most representatives with two apiece.
• Oklahoma City leads all active schools with 122-straight rankings, falling no lower than 18th during that stretch, which goes back to the start of the 2004 season. William Carey (Miss.) is second with 85-consecutive mentions. Next in line for consecutive streaks is St. Gregory’s (Okla.) at 49-straight and Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) at 46.
• Former member California Baptist tops the charts of most all-time No. 1 mentions with 46. Oklahoma City is second all-time with 36, followed by former member Concordia (Calif.) with 24, former member Simon Fraser (B.C.) with 18 and Thomas (Ga.) with 13.
• In 10 polls last year, there were 41 different ranked teams.
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. This policy was approved by the National Administrative Council (NAC) for the 2016-17 academic season. This change will allow raters the opportunity to consider a larger body of work in between rating periods.
• For the complete calendar of 2016 Top 25 Polls, click here
.
2017 NAIA Softball Coaches’ Preseason Top 25 Poll – Jan. 17
| RANK | LAST WEEK^ | SCHOOL (1ST PLACE VOTES) | 2016 RECORD | TOTAL POINTS |
| 1 | 1 | Oklahoma City (19) | 67-3 | 529 |
| 2 | 2 | Saint Xavier (Ill.) | 46-8-1 | 504 |
| 3 | 4 | Southeastern (Fla.) | 44-16 | 499 |
| 4 | 5 | St. Gregory's (Okla.) | 48-7 | 474 |
| 5 | 7 | Williams Baptist (Ark.) | 40-21 | 454 |
| 6 | 6 | Simpson (Calif.) | 43-7 | 450 |
| 7 | 8 | Marian (Ind.) | 48-12 | 428 |
| 8 | 12 | Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) | 47-14 | 396 |
| 9 | 10 | Morningside (Iowa) | 47-10 | 392 |
| 10 | 12 | William Carey (Miss.) | 38-17 | 365 |
| 11 | 11 | Webber International (Fla.) | 31-16 | 359 |
| 12 | 9 | Campbellsville (Ky.) | 49-10 | 357 |
| 13 | 15 | Georgia Gwinnett | 44-19 | 309 |
| 14 | 14 | Martin Methodist (Tenn.) | 47-17 | 301 |
| 15 | 16 | Davenport (Mich.) | 39-12 | 283 |
| 16 | 18 | Reinhardt (Ga.) | 41-12 | 271 |
| 17 | RV | Grand View (Iowa) | 43-11 | 248 |
| 18 | 17 | Houston-Victoria (Texas) | 38-15 | 226 |
| 19 | 22 | Oregon Tech | 30-22 | 209 |
| 20 | 19 | Central Methodist (Mo.) | 43-18 | 202 |
| 21 | 20 | Dickinson State (N.D.) | 46-12 | 197 |
| 22 | 21 | LSU Alexandria | 47-12 | 135 |
| 23 | 23 | Park (Mo.) | 32-17-1 | 115 |
| 24 | 25 | Rio Grande (Ohio) | 41-9 | 103 |
| 25 | NR | San Diego Christian (Calif.) | 34-17 | 102 |
Dropped from rankings: No. 3 Auburn Montgomery (Ala.); No. 24 Arizona Christian.
Others Receiving Votes: Indiana Wesleyan 88; Olivet Nazarene (Ill.) 81; Southern Oregon 63; Science & Arts (Okla.) 47; Arizona Christian 46; Oklahoma Wesleyan 29; Brenau (Ga.) 18; Valley City State (N.D.) 15; USC Beaufort (S.C.) 13; Doane (Neb.) 9; Huntington (Ind.) 9; St. Francis (Ill.) 4; Evangel (Mo.) 3; Georgetown (Ky.) 3; Madonna (Mich.) 3.
^ Ranking from 2016 Postseason Top 25 Poll (June 7, 2016)
-- Courtesy of NAIA Athletics Communications
