OCU softball opens season at No. 1 in NAIA

OCU Sports
Rich Tortorelli, Assistant Athletic Director for Communications

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 Tuesday 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 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 June 2 against Saint Xavier (Ill.) by a 5-0 score. Oklahoma City recorded a 67-3 mark last year, marking its fourth straight year with at least 50 wins.
The Stars begin their season Feb. 10 at the Cowtown Classic in Fort Worth, Texas. Phil McSpadden has led OCU to a 1,545-364 record in 29 years to lead college softball in victories over four-year schools.

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. The first regular-season Top 25 will be announced Tuesday, March 21.

2017 NAIA Softball Coaches’ Preseason Top 25 Poll

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 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)

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