OLLU Softball Preserves Top Spot in NAIA Poll
KANSAS CITY, MO. (April 17, 2024) – Our Lady of the Lake University (OLLU) preserved the top spot in the fourth edition of the NAIA Softball Coaches' Top 25 Rating, garnering all 19 first-place votes. The top five teams remained the same as the University of the Cumberlands jumped ahead of Oregon Tech University for the number four spot. Madonna University climbed to No. 16 this week, while Benedictine University rose to No. 20. The newcomer to the ratings this week was St. Thomas University after receiving votes in the previous rating; they now sit at No. 19.
Red River Athletic Conference (RRAC) member the University of Houston-Victoria received 37 votes this week, while LSU-Alexandria garnered three votes.
History
The Saints claimed the No. 1 ranking for the first time in program history on March 6, and this is OLLU's fourth consecutive top ranking. OLLU had the No. 7 rank in the Preseason NAIA Softball Coaches' Top 25 release in November with 431 points.
The Saints finished out the 2023 season ranked second. They marked a 51-8 record and owned the NAIA's longest win streak at 35 games from Feb. 25 through May 5.
The Saints jumped to No. 2 from No. 7 on March 8, and were No. 2 for the third poll in a row. In the preseason poll, the team was ranked 15th. They had debuted at No. 25 earlier in 2022. The Saints had received votes since the first season of competition in 2010. Their most votes were 21 during that first year. In 2012, the Saints received 20 votes, and in 2013, the most votes they received was 44. In the following year, the Saints received 57 votes in 2014, and in 2015, the most votes the Saints received was 88. In 2016, the team received 10 votes. The last time the Saints received votes was in 2018, with 80 votes.
2024 season
Since the last rating came out on April 3, the Saints have continued their success with shut out wins over LSU-Alexandria 6-0, Texas A&M University – Texarkana 9-0 and 1-0 and the University of the Southwest (USW) 11-0. They've only allowed two runs during that time period – LSU-Alexandria 3-1 and University of the Southwest 6-1. The Saints will face Texas A&M University – San Antonio (A&M-SA) on April 19. The Jaguars are 24-16 overall and 10-12 in conference. Earlier this season, the Saints defeated the Jaguars 5-0 and 10-1. A&M-SA has won three games in April and has lost five. They defeated USW 13-2 and 13-3 in their last outing on April 12.
The OLLU squad has the nation's longest win streak at 39 – including NCAA D1, D2, D3 and NAIA – with an overall record of 43-1 and 20-0 in conference.
The Saints have had 26 shutouts and 23 run-rule wins. The women are outscoring their opponents 274-29.
The Saints softball team is only the second team at OLLU to be ranked No. 1. In the 2015-2016 season, the women's basketball team was ranked first for six weeks.
Rating Methodology
- The rating was voted upon by a panel of head coaches representing each of the conferences and the Continental Athletic Conference (Independents).
- 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"
- For the complete Top 25 calendar, click here.
| RANK | LAST TIME | SCHOOL [FIRST PLACE VOTES] | RECORD | POINTS |
| 1 | 1 | Our Lady of the Lake (Texas) [19] | 43-1 | 529 |
| 2 | 2 | Oklahoma City | 38-2 | 509 |
| 3 | 3 | Central Methodist (Mo.) | 33-3 | 495 |
| 4 | 5 | Cumberlands (Ky.) | 35-4 | 473 |
| 5 | 4 | Oregon Tech | 33-7 | 463 |
| 6 | 6 | Science & Arts (Okla.) | 32-7 | 441 |
| 7 | 8 | Jessup (Calif.) | 31-7 | 426 |
| 8 | 7 | Marian (Ind.) | 31-7 | 407 |
| 9 | 11 | Northwestern (Iowa) | 36-2 | 385 |
| 10 | 9 | Georgia Gwinnett | 24-12 | 363 |
| 11 | 15 | Eastern Oregon | 28-6 | 356 |
| 12 | 13 | Midland (Neb.) | 34-5 | 348 |
| 13 | 10 | Southern Oregon | 31-10 | 319 |
| 14 | 12 | Hope International (Calif.) | 31-10 | 313 |
| 15 | 14 | Mobile (Ala.) | 26-11 | 289 |
| 16 | 20 | Madonna (Mich.) | 36-3 | 267 |
| 17 | 16 | Indiana Wesleyan | 30-8 | 264 |
| 18 | 18 | William Carey (Miss.) | 30-12 | 211 |
| 19 | RV | St. Thomas (Fla.) | 31-4 | 206 |
| 20 | 22 | Benedictine (Kan.) | 35-7 | 204 |
| 20 | 19 | College of Idaho | 28-10 | 204 |
| 22 | 24 | Reinhardt (Ga.) | 32-8 | 159 |
| 22 | 17 | Coastal Georgia | 30-7 | 159 |
| 24 | 21 | Middle Georgia State | 26-10 | 147 |
| 25 | 22 | Vanguard (Calif.) | 33-11 | 141 |
Dropped from Top 25: Ottawa (Kan.)
Receiving Votes: Ottawa (Kan.) 129; Missouri Baptist 43; Southeastern (Fla.) 37; Houston-Victoria (Texas) 37; Baker (Kan.) 33; Saint Xavier (Ill.) 20; Evangel (Mo.) 15; Grand View (Iowa) 11; Embry-Riddle (Ariz.) 6; Freed-Hardeman (Tenn.) 4; Indiana Southeast 4; Mid-America Christian (Okla.) 4; Spring Arbor (Mich.) 3; LSU Alexandria (La.) 3; Aquinas (Mich.) 3