Tigers Ranked #23 In First Softball Poll
March 23, 2010
KANSAS CITY, Mo. - California Baptist has been tabbed as the top-ranked team in the first
regular season NAIA Softball Coaches' Top 25 Poll, the NAIA announced Tuesday. The Lancers were the unanimous pick, earning all 24 first-place votes and for 684 points. Point Loma Nazarene (Calif.) is ranked second with 655 points, followed by No. 3 Lubbock Christian (Texas) with 641 points, No. 4 Bethel (Ind.) with 575 points and No. 5 Lee (Tenn.) with 566.
Three teams maintained their preseason ranking into the first regular season poll. No. 1 California Baptist has occupied the top spot for the last nine polls dating back to March 24, 2009. The Lancers have been awarded all possible first-place votes on five occasions during that stretch, including both polls in the 2010 season. Concordia (Calif.) and Shorter (Ga.) held strong at No. 11 and 12, respectively.
After receiving votes in the preseason poll, four teams garner a Top 25 ranking, including a pair cracking into the top 10. Concordia (Ore.) and Belhaven (Miss.) check in at No. 8 and 9, respectively, while Union (Tenn.) is 17th and Brenau (Ga.) is 23rd. These four teams replace previously ranked No. 15 College of Idaho, No. 19 Notre Dame (Ohio), No. 21 William Penn (Iowa) and No. 24 Campbellsville (Ky.). Three teams maintained their preseason ranking into the first regular season poll. No. 1 California Baptist has occupied the top spot for the last nine polls dating back to March 24, 2009. The Lancers have been awarded all possible first-place votes on five occasions during that stretch, including both polls in the 2010 season. Concordia (Calif.) and Shorter (Ga.) held strong at No. 11 and 12, respectively.
Not only were there new additions to the poll, but 18 teams that were listed in the preseason poll shuffled rank. Lee's 11-spot improvement from No. 16 to 5 is biggest move up in the poll. Meanwhile, Oklahoma City dropped 13 spots from No. 3 to 16 and Martin Methodist (Tenn.) fell from No. 8 to 20.
There are three teams in the poll that have only lost one game, led by the 35-1 record of California Baptist. No. 4 Bethel sports a 14-1-1 mark and No. 8 Concordia (Ore.) is 15-1. The Lancers are the only Top 25 team to surpass 30 wins so far this season, while 10 other ranked clubs have already racked up 20-or more victories.
The Southern States Athletic Conference leads all leagues with four ranked teams: Lee, Shorter, No. 13 Auburn Montgomery (Ala.) and Brenau. The Association of Independent Institutions, Golden State Athletic Conference, Sooner Athletic Conference and the unaffiliated grouping of the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference and Sunrise Conference each have three teams ranked among the Top 25.
The poll was voted upon by a panel of head coaches representing each of the conferences. The next poll will be announced on March 30.