2025 NAIA Softball Coaches’ Top 25 Rating – No. 1 (March 5)
Kansas City, Mo. – Opening the 2025 regular season, Southern Oregon leads the nation with 17 first-place votes in the NAIA Softball Coaches’ Top 25 Rating. Oregon Tech follows close behind, jumping three spots to No. 2, while Science and Arts (Okla.) received the final first-place vote this week and sits in third. Northwestern (Iowa) rose seven spots with its 16-2 start to the season, now sitting in fourth. Three new teams joined the top 25 ranking this week with Missouri Baptist at 17, Campbellsville (Ky.) at 23, and Bellevue (Neb.) at 25.
Rating Methodology:
- The rating is rated by a panel of head coaches representing each of the conference/Continental Athletic Conference (Independents).
- The Top 25 is determined by a points system based on how each rater rates the best teams. A team receives 30 points for each first-place vote, 29 for second-place, 28 for third-place and so on through the list.
- The highest and lowest ratings for each team (a non-rating is considered a low rating) are removed. The team’s rating will be recalculated with an additional point added to each team for every ballot (including discounted ballots) that the team appears on.
- Teams that receive only one point on the ballot are not considered “receiving votes”.
| RANK | LAST TIME | INSTUTION [FIRST-PLACE VOTES] | RECORD | FINAL POINTS |
| 1 | 4 | Southern Oregon [17] | 17-1 | 480 |
| 2 | 5 | Oregon Tech | 9-3 | 455 |
| 3 | 2 | Science and Arts (Okla.) [1] | 7-3 | 443 |
| 4 | 11 | Northwestern (Iowa) | 16-2 | 437 |
| 5 | 8 | Oklahoma City | 12-2 | 410 |
| 6 | 9 | Georgia Gwinnett | 14-2 | 379 |
| 7 | 3 | Cumberlands (Ky.) | 10-5 | 376 |
| 8 | 7 | Central Methodist (Mo.) | 9-3 | 331 |
| 9 | 1 | Our Lady of the Lake (Texas) | 17-4 | 328 |
| 10 | 6 | Madonna (Mich.) | 11-4 | 320 |
| 11 | 10 | Marian (Ind.) | 5-1 | 294 |
| 12 | 17 | Hope International (Calif.) | 9-2 | 292 |
| 13 | 14 | William Carey (Miss.) | 15-2 | 288 |
| 14 | 13 | Eastern Oregon | 3-3 | 278 |
| 15 | 21 | LSU Alexandria (La.) | 13-1 | 240 |
| 16 | 22 | Southeastern (Fla.) | 14-1 | 235 |
| 17 | RV | Missouri Baptist | 13-3 | 218 |
| 18 | 12 | Indiana Wesleyan | 5-1 | 216 |
| 19 | 19 | St. Thomas (Fla.) | 13-3 | 203 |
| 20 | 18 | Benedictine (Kan.) | 9-5 | 162 |
| 21 | 15 | Midland (Neb.) | 11-5 | 148 |
| 22 | 20 | Mobile (Ala.) | 10-3 | 142 |
| 23 | RV | Campbellsville (Ky.) | 9-3 | 135 |
| 24 | 16 | College of Idaho | 5-3 | 124 |
| 25 | RV | Bellevue (Neb.) | 9-7 | 81 |
Dropped from Top 25: Baker (Kan.), Coastal Georgia, Middle Georgia State
Receiving Votes: Evangel (Mo.) 75, Saint Xavier (Ill.) 73, Rio Grande (Ohio) 50, Baker (Kan.) 46, Coastal Georgia 38, Embry-Riddle (Ariz.) 37, Middle Georgia State 24, Grand View Iowa) 18, Brenau (Ga.) 10, Freed-Hardeman (Tenn.) 5, Dickinson State (N.D.) 3