For the first time in two years, the Wayland Baptist baseball team has moved into the NAIA Baseball Coaches' Top 25, appearing this week in the 25
th position.
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Wayland has steadily climbed in the poll all season while compiling a 29-9 record. The Pioneers received votes in the preseason poll, when they were the equivalent of 40
th, and in the first two regular-season polls, the equivalent of 36
th and 32
nd.
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This week is the first time Wayland has been ranked in the Top 25 since March 25, 2014, snapping a drought of 21-straight editions without a mention. Indiana Tech (21-3) also is new to the poll this week for the first time since April 24, 2012.
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The only other Sooner Athletic Conference team in the Top 25 is Oklahoma City at No. 13. University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma continues to receive Top 25 votes. The Pioneers took two of three games from USAO at home last weekend.
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Wayland, which is 6-3 in the SAC, hosts St. Gregory's (18-18, 6-6) at Wilder Field this weekend. The series has been changed to where the Pioneers and Cavaliers meet in a single, nine-inning game beginning at 5:30 p.m. Friday before squaring off in back-to-back seven-inning contests starting at 1 p.m. Saturday.
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2016 NAIA Baseball Coaches' Top 25 Poll – No. 3 (March 29)
| RANK | PRVS^ | SCHOOL (1ST PLACE VOTES) | RECORD | TOTAL POINTS |
| 1 | 3 | Georgia Gwinnett (14) | 34-1 | 495 |
| 2 | 2 | Lewis-Clark State (Idaho) (1) | 24-3 | 477 |
| 3 | 1 | Faulkner (Ala.) (2) | 28-6 | 471 |
| 4 | 5 | Bellevue (Neb.) | 23-4 | 451 |
| 5 | 4 | Auburn Montgomery (Ala.) | 26-8 | 420 |
| 6 | 7 | USC Beaufort (S.C.) | 27-4 | 412 |
| 7 | 6 | Westmont (Calif.) | 24-6 | 398 |
| 8 | 9 | Jamestown (N.D.) | 30-1 | 380 |
| 9 | 10 | Tennessee Wesleyan | 22-9 | 374 |
| 10 | 8 | Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) | 25-10 | 369 |
| 11 | 12 | Tabor (Kan.) | 27-8 | 341 |
| 12 | 14 | Missouri Baptist | 24-6 | 313 |
| 13 | 15 | Oklahoma City | 26-9 | 290 |
| 14 | 13 | MidAmerica Nazarene (Kan.) | 21-5 | 270 |
| 15 | 18 | Vanguard (Calif.) | 23-8-1 | 262 |
| 16 | 16 | York (Neb.) | 22-6 | 247 |
| 17 | 17 | Freed-Hardeman (Tenn.) | 24-8 | 238 |
| 18 | 19 | Middle Georgia State | 26-10 | 236 |
| 19 | 11 | Keiser (Fla.) | 27-10 | 226 |
| 20 | 20 | Bryan (Tenn.) | 24-9 | 202 |
| 21 | 21 | Sterling (Kan.) | 23-8 | 172 |
| 22 | 22 | Davenport (Mich.) | 18-7 | 166 |
| 23 | RV | Indiana Tech | 21-3 | 125 |
| 24 | 25 | St. Thomas (Fla.) | 22-11 | 117 |
| 25 | RV | Wayland Baptist (Texas) | 29-9 | 93 |
Dropped from Top 25:Â LSU Shreveport (La.) (No. 23); William Carey (Miss.) (No. 24)Â
Others receiving votes:Â College of Idaho 74; Mobile (Ala.) 65; Menlo (Calif.) 61; Morningside (Iowa) 44; Central Baptist (Ark.) 42; LSU Shreveport (La.) 20; Science & Arts (Okla.) 16; St. Catharine (Ky.) 15; William Carey (Miss.) 12; Olivet Nazarene (Ill.) 9; IU Southeast (Ind.) 6; Oklahoma Wesleyan 5; The Master's (Calif.) 3.
^From the 2016 NAIA Baseball Coaches' Top 25 Poll – No. 2 (March 22)
