2018 NAIA Softball Coaches’ Top 25 Poll — Final (May 8) – NAIA – National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics
2018 NAIA Softball Coaches’ Top 25 Poll — Final (May 8)
Georgia Gwinnett claims No. 1 ranking in fifth-straight edition
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — In the final regular-season edition, Georgia Gwinnett again lands in the No. 1 ranking in the 2018 NAIA Softball Coaches’ Top 25 Poll, announced Tuesday by the national office. As the unanimous selection, the Grizzlies hold the top spot for the fifth-straight week in collecting 18 first-place votes and 498 total points.
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 – Final (May 8)
| RANK | LAST WEEK^ | SCHOOL (1st PLACE VOTES) | 2018 RECORD | TOTAL POINTS |
| 1 | 1 | Georgia Gwinnett (18) | 49-3 | 498 |
| 2 | 5 | Oklahoma City | 47-7 | 468 |
| 3 | 2 | Marian (Ind.) | 47-5 | 462 |
| 4 | 4 | Campbellsville (Ky.) | 45-8 | 452 |
| 5 | 3 | Science & Arts (Okla.) | 50-5 | 444 |
| 6 | 6 | Hope International (Calif.) | 46-9 | 411 |
| 7 | 10 | Indiana Wesleyan | 54-9 | 389 |
| 8 | 8 | Southern Oregon | 44-12 | 385 |
| 9 | 9 | Mobile (Ala.) | 42-13 | 369 |
| 10 | 7 | Vanguard (Calif.) | 50-10 | 362 |
| 11 | 15 | Jamestown (N.D.) | 43-7 | 300 |
| 12 | 14 | Thomas (Ga.) | 38-14 | 293 |
| 13 | 11 | Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) | 39-14 | 291 |
| 14 | 12 | Corban (Ore.) | 35-13 | 286 |
| 15 | 16 | St. Francis (Ill.) | 38-7 | 283 |
| 16 | 17 | Grand View (Iowa) | 46-8 | 278 |
| 17 | 13 | Faulkner (Ala.) | 44-12 | 270 |
| 18 | 19 | Central Methodist (Mo.) | 41-9 | 225 |
| 19 | 18 | William Carey (Miss.) | 38-13 | 210 |
| 20 | 20 | Oregon Tech | 36-13 | 162 |
| 21 | 22 | Freed-Hardeman (Tenn.) | 31-13 | 158 |
| 22 | 21 | Southeastern (Fla.) | 40-16 | 147 |
| 23 | NR | Truett-McConnell (Ga.) | 40-15 | 125 |
| 24 | NR | Rio Grande (Ohio) | 35-11 | 110 |
| T25 | NR | Valley City State (N.D.) | 39-12 | 72 |
| T25 | T25 | Baker (Kan.) | 40-14 | 72 |
Others Receiving Votes: Midland (Neb.) 52; Olivet Nazarene (Ill.) 45; Columbia (Mo.) 45; Georgetown (Ky.) 36; Texas Wesleyan 36; USC Beaufort (S.C.) 27; Aquinas (Mich.) 26; Northwestern (Iowa) 21; William Jessup (Calif.) 16; Houston-Victoria (Texas) 10; Tabor (Kan.) 6; Taylor (Ind.) 4; Warner (Fla.) 3.
Dropped Out: No. 23 Morningside (Iowa), No. 24 Warner (Fla.).
^ Previous ranking occurred April 24, 2018 (Poll No. 4)
Championship Information
38th ANNUAL NAIA SOFTBALL
WORLD SERIES
May 14-16, 2018
National Championship Opening
Round – Campus Sites
May 25-31, 2018
Clermont, Fla.