Baker Softball Ranked No. 24 in NAIA Preseason Top-25 Poll

BALDWIN CITY - Coming off of back-to-back national tournament appearances, Baker softball will open the 2025 season ranked No. 24 as the NAIA released its 2025 Softball Coaches' Preseason Top-25 Poll on Wednesday.

The Wildcats were one of three teams from the Heart of America to be featured in the top-25 poll with Central Methodist coming in at No. 7 and Benedictine at No. 18.

Last year, Baker went 34-15 overall, winning 30 or more games for the second straight season and earning back-to-back NAIA appearances for the second time in program history. BU defeated Friends in the first game of the 2024 NAIA Opening Round, giving them four postseason wins in the past two years.

The Wildcats went 17-7 in conference play and closed out the regular season by winning nine of their last 10 games to earn the No. 2 seed for the Heart Softball Conference Tournament.

Baker head coach Tony Austin enters his first full season at the helm after serving as the interim for 10 games (9-1) in the spring of 2024 before being promoted to head coach in late April of 2024.

BU's roster features four players who earned All-Heart honors last season in first-teamers Kira Baker and Savannah Bray and Madi Ball and Riley Phillips who were selected to the second team. Kira Baker was named an NAIA All-American for the second straight season.

With the season opener three months away, Baker will kick off the 2025 season with an early February trip to San Antonio, Texas to take on Texas A&M - San Antonio, (RV) Houston-Victoria and defending national champion Our Lady of the Lake on Feb. 7-9.

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