KANSAS CITY, MO – The Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association announced its preseason rankings for the 2025 softball season. It was a close battle for the top spot with the Rogers State Hillcats being selected as the overall favorite by MIAA head coaches.
 
Rogers State claimed the No. 1 spot on the 2025 MIAA softball preseason coaches poll with seven first-place votes and 139 total points. The Hillcats captured a share of the 2024 MIAA regular season title – the program’s first regular season championship since joining the league in 2019. Rogers State ended the 2024 regular season with a league record of 23-3 and went on to win the program’s second MIAA tournament title in the past three seasons. The Hillcats carried their season all the way to the NCAA Central Super Region Championship, which they hosted in Claremore, Okla.
 
Collecting just one less first-place selection than the Hillcats was Central Oklahoma. The Bronchos finish second in the coaches 2025 preseason poll with 137 points and six first-place votes. Central Oklahoma finished third in the league last season with an MIAA record of 21-6.
 
Pittsburg State was picked No. 3 in the poll with 120 points. The Gorillas shared the 2024 regular season title with Rogers State, also going 23-3 against MIAA opponents. Pittsburg State finished the season with the best overall record in the league at 53-8.
 
Washburn finished No. 4 with 111 points while Missouri Southern capped the coaches’ top five teams for the 2025 season, coming in at No. 5 with 85 points.
 
Missouri Western was selected No. 6 just two points behind the Lions with 83 points. Northwest Missouri was slated No. 7 (79 points), followed by Emporia State at No. 8 (71 points), Central Missouri at No. 9 (69 points), and Fort Hays State concluded the coaches’ top ten (48 points).
 
The first pitches of the 2025 NCAA Division II softball season take place this Friday, January 31, with MIAA doubleheaders beginning on Friday, March 7. The 2025 MIAA Softball Championship Tournament is scheduled for April 30 - May 4 at Fort Hays State’s Fleharty Family Field in Hays, Kan. To view the complete 2025 schedules for all 13 MIAA softball teams, visit theMIAA.com/softball.
 
2025 MIAA SOFTBALL PRESEASON POLL
1. Rogers State [7] – 139 points
2. Central Oklahoma [6] – 137 points
3. Pittsburg State – 120 points
4. Washburn – 111 points
5. Missouri Southern – 85 points
6. Missouri Western – 83 points
7. Northwest Missouri – 79 points
8. Emporia State – 71 points
9. Central Missouri – 69 points
10. Fort Hays State – 48 points
11. Nebraska Kearney – 32 points
12. Newman – 26 points
13. Northeastern State – 14 points 
[#] - First Place Votes