KANSAS CITY, Mo. - The Central Methodist University softball program will enter the 2020 season in the race for a Top 25 ranking after the preseason edition of the NAIA Softball Coaches' Poll. Central was tabbed in the "others receiving votes" category with eight points.
Grand View, slated at No. 17, was the only Heart member mentioned in the release.
The Eagles return seven All-Conference players from a team that finished third in the Heart last season. Central will be looking to get back to the NAIA Softball National Championship for the 6th time in the past eight seasons.
This year's schedule opens on Valentine's Day with the Crusader Classic hosted by Evangel University in Springfield, Mo. The Eagles will then travel to Arkansas for the Central Baptist Mustang Meltdown tournament the following week. The challenging non-conference slate will conclude from March 6-8 at the always-tough Gulf Coast Invitational in Gulf Shores, Ala.
The conference slate features 34 Heart contests beginning on the road against Missouri Valley on March 18. Clarke will be the opponent for the Eagles' home-opener set to take place on March 21.
The regular season concludes with a match-up against Culver-Stockton on April 26 before the Heart Conference Tournament takes place from April 30-May 3.
2020 NAIA Softball Coaches' Top 25 Preseason Poll- Janurary 15
| RANK | LAST WEEK | SCHOOL [1ST PLACE VOTES] | RECORD | FINAL POINTS |
| 1 | 1 | Southern Oregon [18] | 52-8 | 529 |
| 2 | 3 | Science & Arts (Okla.) [1] | 59-4 | 511 |
| 3 | 2 | Oklahoma City | 61-8 | 494 |
| 4 | 5 | Marian (Ind.) | 54-3 | 465 |
| 5 | 4 | Georgia Gwinnett | 46-16 | 454 |
| 5 | 6 | Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) | 52-5 | 454 |
| 7 | 7 | Mobile (Ala.) | 52-13 | 434 |
| 8 | 8 | Oregon Tech | 44-17 | 406 |
| 9 | 9 | Vanguard (Calif.) | 46-13 | 391 |
| 10 | 10 | Valley City State (N.D.) | 54-5 | 359 |
| 11 | 11 | Hope International (Calif.) | 46-14 | 353 |
| 12 | 13 | Indiana Wesleyan | 44-15-1 | 342 |
| 13 | 14 | Campbellsville (Ky.) | 35-15 | 308 |
| 14 | 18 | Truett-McConnell (Ga.) | 42-9 | 302 |
| 15 | 15 | Olivet Nazarene (Ill.) | 40-10 | 286 |
| 16 | 16 | Columbia (Mo.) | 37-12 | 284 |
| 17 | 17 | Grand View (Iowa) | 48-11 | 278 |
| 18 | 21 | William Carey (Miss.) | 37-16 | 230 |
| 19 | 20 | College of Idaho | 40-17 | 225 |
| 20 | 22 | USC Beaufort (S.C.) | 40-13 | 194 |
| 21 | RV | LSU Alexandria (La.) | 34-16 | 180 |
| 22 | 24 | Morningside (Iowa) | 31-11 | 143 |
| 23 | 19 | Houston-Victoria (Texas) | 33-12 | 115 |
| 24 | 25 | Corban (Ore.) | 37-16 | 89 |
| 25 | RV | Marymount California | 34-13 | 83 |
Receiving Votes: Brenau (Ga.) 76, Rio Grande (Ohio) 69, Bellevue (Neb.) 59, St. Francis (Ill.) 38, Central Baptist (Ark.) 34, Arizona Christian 30, Midland (Neb.) 28, Madonna (Mich.) 27, Taylor (Ind.) 26, Cumberlands (Ky.) 20, Coastal Georgia 19, Simpson (Calif.) 12, Martin Methodist (Tenn.) 10, Central Methodist (Mo.) 8, McPherson (Kan.) 8, Reinhardt (Ga.) 5, Lawrence Tech (Mich.) 5
