Penn (40-16, 28-4 MCC), who went 9-1 last week, has won 12 of its last 13 and 19 of its previous 21 contests. That was only good enough, however, for the team to receive 21 more points than last week to now have 229 points, keeping Penn rated #21 in the NAIA.

California Baptist is again #1 for the sixth week in a row with 681 points and 20 first-place votes. Lubbock Christian (Texas) has narrowed the gap with 665 points and four first-point votes. Dickinson State (N.D.) is third, Point Loma Nazarene (Calif.) is fourth, and William Carey (Miss.) rounds out the five.

Penn remains the highest-ranked institution in the state of Iowa as Morningside is also receiving points in 36th place with 18 points. Fellow Midwest Collegiate Conference foe Grand View is unofficially 38th with 14 points.

NAIA Softball Rating #7 - April 28, 2009
(Number in parentheses is first-place votes)
(Iowa Institutions bolded)
1. California Baptist (20)
2. Lubbock Christian (Texas) (4)
3. Dickinson State (N.D.)
4. Point Loma Nazarene (Calif.)
5. William Carey (Miss.)
6. Oklahoma City
7. Bethel (Ind.)
8. St. Gregory's (Okla.)
9. Simon Fraser (B.C.)
10. Martin Methodist (Tenn.)
11. Brenau (Ga.)
12. Houston-Victoria (TX)
13. Warner (Fla.)
14. Concordia (Calif.)
15. Mobile (Ala.)
15. Madonna (Mich.)
17. Lee (Tenn.)
18. Shorter (Ga.)
19. Campbellsville (Ky.)
20. Evangel (Mo.)
21. William Penn
22. California State-San Marcos
23. Freed-Hardeman (Tenn.)
24. Friends (Kan.)
25. Azusa Pacific (Calif.)

Others receiving votes: Georgetown (Ky.) 92; College of Idaho 78; Saint Xavier (Ill.) 54; William Woods (Mo.) 52; Notre Dame (Ohio) 47; Central Methodist (Mo.) 42; Auburn-Montgomery (Ala.) 28; Bellevue (Neb.) 26; Marian (Ind.) 26; Aquinas (Mich.) 22; Morningside 18; Belhaven (Miss.) 16; Grand View 14; Milligan (Tenn.) 11; Biola (Calif.) 8; Oklahoma Christian 8; Bacone (Okla.) 3; Park (Mo.) 3; Midland Lutheran (Neb.) 3; Southern Oregon 1; Holy Names (Calif.) 1; Indiana-Southeast 1; Concordia (Ore.) 1.