The Central Methodist University softball team, closed out the 2016 season, by being ranked 19th in the Nation, in the 2016 NAIA Softball Coaches' Postseason Top 25 Poll.
Kansas City, Mo. For the seventh-straight time, Oklahoma City ranks No. 1 in the 2016 NAIA Softball Coaches' Postseason Top 25 Poll, announced Wednesday by the national office. The Stars won their ninth overall national championship on June 2 after a 5-0 victory against Saint Xavier (Ill.).
Top 25 Highlights (historical information dates back to 2000):
Oklahoma City boasts its seventh-consecutive No. 1 ranking as it tallied 529 total points and all 19 first-place votes.
The Stars earned their NAIA-record ninth all-time World Series championship on June 2 against Saint Xavier (Ill.). Oklahoma City won the title coming out of the elimination bracket, which meant the squad had to win back-to-back games on June 2 over the Cougars.
In the 36-year history of the NAIA World Series, that marked only the fourth time and first since 2008 that a team emerged from the elimination bracket and captured the red banner.
National runner-up St. Xavier claims 512 points and the No. 2 postseason ranking. The Cougars advanced to its first-ever national championship contest.
The newcomers in this edition are: No. 7 Williams Baptist (Ark.), No. 11 Webber International (Fla.) and No. 22 Oregon Tech. Both Williams Baptist and Oregon Tech posted a Top 25 ranking earlier this year. Webber International lands its first posting this season.
Oklahoma City leads all active schools with 121-straight rankings, falling no lower than 18th during that stretch, which goes back to the start of the 2004 season. William Carey (Miss.) is second with 84-consecutive mentions. Next in line for consecutive streaks is Auburn Montgomery (Ala.) at 50-straight; St. Gregory's (Okla.) at 48 and Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) at 45.
Former member California Baptist tops the charts of most all-time No. 1 mentions with 46. Oklahoma City is second all-time with 35, followed by former member Concordia (Calif.) with 24, former member Simon Fraser (B.C.) with 18 and Thomas (Ga.) with 13.
Through all 10 polls this year, there have been 41 different ranked teams.
Thirteen teams have held a ranking each week.
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"
For the complete calendar of 2016 Top 25 Polls, click here.
2016 NAIA Softball Coaches' Postseason Top 25 Poll June 8
| RANK | LAST WEEK | SCHOOL (1ST PLACE VOTES) | 2016 RECORD | TOTAL POINTS |
| 1 | 1 | Oklahoma City (19) | 67-3 | 529 |
| 2 | 5 | Saint Xavier (Ill.) | 46-10-1 | 512 |
| 3 | 2 | Auburn Montgomery (Ala.) | 55-7 | 484 |
| 4 | T10 | Southeastern (Fla.) | 44-16 | 483 |
| 5 | 3 | St. Gregory's (Okla.) | 49-7 | 466 |
| 6 | 7 | Simpson (Calif.) | 43-7 | 407 |
| 7 | RV | Williams Baptist (Ark.) | 40-21 | 404 |
| 8 | 17 | Marian (Ind.) | 48-11 | 392 |
| 9 | 4 | Campbellsville (Ky.) | 49-10 | 381 |
| 10 | 15 | Morningside (Iowa) | 47-10 | 377 |
| 11 | RV | Webber International (Fla.) | 31-16 | 365 |
| 12 | 8 | William Carey (Miss.) | 38-17 | 348 |
| 12 | 6 | Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) | 47-14 | 348 |
| 14 | T10 | Martin Methodist (Tenn.) | 47-17 | 306 |
| 15 | 13 | Georgia Gwinnett | 44-19 | 297 |
| 16 | 12 | Davenport (Mich.) | 39-12 | 261 |
| 17 | 20 | Houston-Victoria (Texas) | 38-15 | 236 |
| 18 | 14 | Reinhardt (Ga.) | 41-12 | 234 |
| 19 | 19 | Central Methodist (Mo.) | 43-18 | 216 |
| 20 | 16 | Dickinson State (N.D.) | 46-12 | 207 |
| 21 | 9 | LSU Alexandria | 47-12 | 191 |
| 22 | RV | Oregon Tech | 30-22 | 165 |
| 23 | 24 | Park (Mo.) | 32-17-1 | 139 |
| 24 | 18 | Arizona Christian | 37-16-1 | 110 |
| 25 | 22 | Rio Grande (Ohio) | 41-9 | 108 |
Dropped from rankings: No. 21 Southern Oregon; No. 23 Grand View (Iowa), No. 25 Friends (Kan.).
Others Receiving Votes: Grand View (Iowa) 106; Southern Oregon 83; Indiana Wesleyan 78; Friends (Kan.) 68; Olivet Nazarene (Ill.) 50; Great Falls (Mont.) 26; Doane (Neb.) 21; Huntington (Ind.) 14; Brenau (Ga.) 11; Valley City State (N.D.) 8; USC Beaufort (S.C.) 5; Indiana Southeast 4; Science & Arts (Okla.) 4.
