LA GRANDE — The Eastern Oregon University softball team moved up one spot in the final NAIA Softball Coaches’ Top 25 poll, which was released mid June.

The Mountaineers finish the 2022 season with a No. 14 ranking, up from No. 15 in the prior poll.

Oklahoma City, which earned its 11th National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics Softball World Series crown, was the top team in the poll, earning all 18 first-place votes, followed by national championship runner-up Mobile (Alabama). Science & Arts (Oklahoma) landed in the No. 3 spot while Southeastern (Florida) vaulted all the way up from 11 to No. 4. Freed-Hardeman (Tennessee) rounded out the top five.

The poll was voted upon by a panel of head coaches representing each of the conferences and the Continental Athletic Conference (Independents).

EOU finished the year at 43-17 overall and as the runner-up of the Oklahoma City Bracket in the NAIA opening round after earning an at-large bid. The team’s tally of 43 wins now stands alone atop Eastern’s record books for the most victories in a single season. Entering the 2022 campaign, EOU was picked to finish fifth in the Cascade Collegiate Conference but easily exceeded expectations, according to an announcement from EOU Athletics. The team finished third in the regular season standings and at the CCC Tournament, registering a 24-6 mark in conference action.

Eastern Oregon was one of four Cascade Collegiate Conference teams in the top 25. Oregon Tech was the highest placing CCC team, finishing No. 7, while Southern Oregon finished No. 12 and College of Idaho was No. 22.