KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The Oregon Tech softball team, ranked No. 26 in this year's preseason NAIA Softball Coaches Top 25 Poll, jumped to No. 13 in the postseason national poll, announced today by the national office.
 
During the 2018 season Oregon Tech was twice ranked at No. 20, moving up from No. 22 for two weeks heading into postseason action, while finishing the year with their highest ranking of the season at No. 13.  
 
The Owls season finished with a record of 39 and 15. Seven of those 15 losses came to teams ranked in the Top 10 at the time of the loss. The Owls lost the championship game of the opening round to the host and No.1 ranked (at the time) Georgia Gwinnett College. The loss marked the third year in row that the Owls have lost in the championship game in the opening round bracket one win from the World Series (Simpson College 2016, Marian 2017).
 
For the first time in school history, Science & Arts (Okla.) is ranked No. 1 after winning its first-ever World Series championship. The Drovers collected all 18 first-place votes and 498 total points in the 2018 NAIA Softball Coaches' Top 25 Postseason Poll.
 
The Cascade Conference was well represented in the final poll with Southern Oregon finishing at No. 3 followed by OIT at No. 13 and Corban University at No.20.

Others Receiving Votes: Rio Grande (Ohio) 64; Midland (Neb.) 62; Valley City State (N.D.) 60; Saint Xavier (Ill.) 43; Tabor (Kan.) 36; Aquinas (Mich.) 32; Morningside (Iowa) 25; Brenau (Ga.) 23; Houston-Victoria (Texas) 9; Texas Wesleyan 9; Georgetown (Ky.) 7; Simpson (Calif.) 6; USC Beaufort (S.C.) 5.
Dropped Out: No. 24 Rio Grande (Ohio); No. 25 (tie) Valley City State (N.D.)

Press release from Oregon Tech Sports Information.

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