Kansas City, Mo. - The Central Methodist softball team matched their highest national ranking in program history, jumping one spot to No. 5 in the NAIA Softball Coaches Top 25 poll Wednesday morning.
The last time CMU was ranked No. 5 was in the 2016 preseason poll. That year CMU finished with a 43-18 record and claimed their sixth straight regular-season conference title.
Grand View is the only other Heart program mentioned in the Top 25, as the Vikings are currently receiving votes. CMU and Grand View are currently 1-2 in the conference standings.
The Eagles are No. 1 in the nation in RBI (292), No. 2 in batters struck out (320), No. 3 in doubles (87), and No. 5 in earned run average (1.270).
CMU is set to host South Division foe Baker University Thursday, April 22 for a doubleheader beginning at 5:00 p.m. at Cox Softball Complex. This marks the first meeting between the two sides since April 17, 2019.
To view the complete NAIA Softball Coaches' Top 25 Poll and the poll methodology, please see below.
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 rating) 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 appear on.
- Teams that receive only one point on the ballot are not considered "receiving votes"
- The frequency of the polls is bi-weekly. This policy was approved by the National Administrative Council (NAC) prior to the 2016-17 academic season. This change allows raters the opportunity to consider a larger body of work between rating periods.
- For the complete Top 25 calendar, click here.
2021 NAIA Softball Coaches' Top 25 - Poll 4 (April 21, 2021)
| RANK | LAST WEEK | SCHOOL [1st PLACE VOTES] | RECORD | FINAL POINTS |
| 1 | 1 | Southern Oregon [19] | 38-2 | 529 |
| 2 | 4 | Oklahoma City | 29-3 | 508 |
| 3 | 3 | Science & Arts (Okla.) | 36-4 | 488 |
| 4 | 2 | Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) | 35-5 | 486 |
| 5 | 6 | Central Methodist (Mo.) | 37-4 | 449 |
| 6 | 5 | Oregon Tech | 32-6 | 436 |
| 7 | 10 | Indiana Wesleyan | 33-5 | 401 |
| 8 | 9 | Hope International (Calif.) | 22-2 | 396 |
| 9 | 11 | Columbia (Mo.) | 25-5 | 393 |
| 10 | 8 | Georgia Gwinnett | 25-9 | 380 |
| 11 | 14 | Morningside (Iowa) | 35-4 | 350 |
| 12 | 7 | Marian (Ind.) | 32-10 | 346 |
| 13 | 12 | William Carey (Miss.) | 33-8 | 329 |
| 14 | 19 | Saint Xavier (Ill.) | 19-0 | 327 |
| 15 | 16 | Olivet Nazarene (Ill.) | 21-3 | 290 |
| 16 | 13 | Freed-Hardeman (Tenn.) | 31-9 | 257 |
| 17 | 24 | Campbellsville (Ky.) | 33-11 | 242 |
| 18 | 20 | Central Baptist (Ark.) | 23-9 | 204 |
| 19 | NR | Milligan (Tenn.) | 27-5 | 199 |
| 20 | 18 | Warner (Fla.) | 25-13 | 176 |
| 21 | 25 | Ottawa (Kan.) | 31-5 | 172 |
| 22 | 15 | Truett McConnell (Ga.) | 28-12 | 165 |
| 23 | 23 | College of Idaho | 30-12 | 156 |
| 24 | 21 | Cumberlands (Ky.) | 37-13 | 152 |
| 25 | 17 | Reinhardt (Ga.) | 34-10 | 116 |
Dropped Out: Mobile (Ala.)
Receiving Votes: Grand View (Iowa) 96, Mobile (Ala.) 91, Midland (Neb.) 55, Valley City State (N.D.) 42, Texas A&M Texarkana 36, Indiana Southeast 22, Taylor (Ind.) 14, Vanguard (Calif.) 12, Concordia (Neb.) 11, St. Francis (Ill.) 9, Webber International (Fla.) 9, Cottey (Mo.) 7, Simpson (Calif.) 4, Mid-America Christian (Okla.) 3, Rio Grande (Ohio) 3, and Madonna (Mich.) 3
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