KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The bar has been set high for the defending Avista-NAIA World Series Champions. The Fire came in at No. 1 in the Preseason NAIA Coaches’ Top 25 Poll, receiving all 18 first-place votes.
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 Fire are coming off a 59-7 campaign in which they turned in a perfect 8-0 postseason to capture the first NAIA National Championship of any sport in school history.
Fellow Sun Conference members St. Thomas came in at No. 6, Webber International at No. 18, and Keiser at No. 24.
The next installment of the national rankings comes out on Tuesday March 5.
The Fire will open the 2019 season on Wednesday January 30 with a doubleheader at Ave Maria.
