PELLA— Central College opens the season ranked at No. 11 in the preseason NFCA Division III Top 25 Coaches Poll.
The Dutch return seven starters from last year's 33-13 team that reached the super regionals.
Defending NCAA champion East Texas Baptist University is the unanimous choice for the preseason top spot. Salisbury University follows ranked No. 2. No American Rivers teams were ranked, but Coe College received eight votes.
Central opens the season February 28 in St. Louis, Missouri with a double header against Calvin College (Mich.) and Washington University (Mo.). Those teams will meet again on March 1 before taking on Webster University (Mo.) in a double header on February 2. The Dutch start American Rivers play on April 4 when they host Simpson College for a doubleheader at 3 p.m.
NFCA/GoRout Division III Top 25 Softball Coaches Poll – Feb. 4, 2025
| Rank |
Team |
Points |
Final 2024 Record |
| 1 |
East Texas Baptist (10) |
250 |
48-3 |
| 2 |
Linfield |
240 |
50-4 |
| 3 |
Rowan |
230 |
41-10 |
| 4 |
Wisconsin-Oshkosh |
220 |
45-7 |
| 5 |
Belhaven |
210 |
47-10 |
| 6 |
Tufts |
200 |
39-10 |
| 7 |
Case Western Reserve |
190 |
40-9 |
| 8 |
Virginia Wesleyan |
180 |
40-10 |
| 9 |
Christopher Newport |
170 |
34-7 |
| 10 |
Trine |
160 |
43-5 |
| 11 |
Central |
150 |
33-13 |
| 12 |
Williams |
140 |
26-13 |
| 13 |
Salisbury |
130 |
39-7 |
| 14 |
Texas Lutheran |
120 |
33-5 |
| 15 |
Berry |
110 |
46-7 |
| 16 |
Rochester |
100 |
32-9 |
| 17 |
Randolph-Macon |
90 |
33-7-2 |
| 18 |
Pfeiffer |
80 |
45-4 |
| 19 |
Muskingum |
70 |
31-16 |
| 20 |
Calvin |
38 |
34-12 |
| 21 |
Wisconsin-Whitewater |
35 |
33-10 |
| 22 |
Redlands |
31 |
33-14 |
| 23 |
Wisconsin-Stevens Point |
27 |
32-9 |
| 24 |
Bethel |
19 |
33-11 |
| 25 |
Huntingdon |
18 |
33-8 |
