SEARCY, Ark. — Harding finds itself in the heart of a highly competitive regional landscape, checking in at No. 7 in the first regular-season NCBWA Central Region rankings released Monday. The Bisons (3-1) earned 32 total points following a successful opening weekend at the Henderson State Invitational.
Harding, which entered the season as the regional No. 6, saw a minor one-spot shift.
At the top of the poll, the battle for No. 1 is essentially a stalemate. Central Missouri (6-1) retained the top spot by a single point over Pittsburg State (7-0). Both programs split the first-place votes evenly with five apiece.
Despite the slight slide in the rankings, Harding remains the second-highest ranked team in the GAC. The Bisons' only loss of the young season came at the hands of No. 9 Missouri Southern, a regional mainstay that maintained its position despite a 2-3 start.
NCBWA Central Region Rankings (Feb. 9, 2026)
| Rank |
School (1st Place Votes) |
Pts |
Record |
Prev. |
| 1 |
Central Mo. (5) |
95 |
6-1 |
1 |
| 2 |
Pittsburg St. (5) |
94 |
7-0 |
3 |
| 3 |
Minnesota St. |
79 |
0-0 |
2 |
| 4 |
Augustana (SD) |
71 |
2-0 |
5 |
| 5 |
Henderson St. |
55 |
4-0 |
10 |
| 6 |
Emporia St. |
34 |
6-1 |
NR |
| 7 |
Harding |
32 |
3-1 |
6 |
| 8 |
Ouachita Baptist |
29 |
4-0 |
NR |
| 9 |
Mo. Southern St. |
12 |
2-3 |
9 |
| 10 |
Southwestern Okla. |
12 |
6-2 |
NR |
