GREENWOOD, Ind. – The pursuit for four in a row begins for Trevecca Nazarene this spring at the top of the annual Great Midwest Athletics Conference Softball Preseason Coaches Poll once again.
Voting was conducted between the different conference coaches with eight of the G-MAC institutions ranked.
After taking the Trojans to a 40-10 overall record and a 20-1 conference last year, TNU head coach Ben Tyree prepares for his eighth year with another talented squad ready to hit the field.
Tyree and his ball club finished last spring with a historic season ending. The Trojans went on to the NCAA Division II Midwest Regional No. 2 as an at-large selection. They fell just short in the regional championship game, but remain hungry for another shot at postseason glory.
Just like the TNU baseball program, the Trojans’ softball team won their third consecutive G-MAC championship and look to grab their fourth championship conference crown.
Similar to last year, the Trojans were the unanimous pick as the top choice for the preseason among the league’s coaches.
TNU garnered a total of 49 points in the voting – the maximum amount since teams cannot vote for themselves.
Eleven points behind the Trojans was Kentucky Wesleyan, which received the other first-place vote and tallied 38 combined votes in the poll.
Head coach Miles Malette took his Panthers to a 25-15 overall record and 14-6 mark in the conference in 2015.
Cedarville and Davis & Elkins each collected 36 points to tie for third in the preseason coaches poll. Alderson Broaddus finished with 23 points for fifth while Salem International was just three points behind the Battlers with 20 total points.
Ohio Valley and Ursuline rounded out the preseason coaches poll, respectively, at seventh and eighth.
The 2015 softball spring season for the G-MAC is slated to officially get underway on Friday, Jan. 29. All times listed on G-MACsports.com are Eastern Time Zone and all game times are subject to change.
2016 G-MAC Softball Preseason Coaches Poll
1. Trevecca Nazarene (7 first-place votes)
2. Kentucky Wesleyan (1 first-place vote)
3. Cedarville
4. Davis & Elkins
5. Alderson Broaddus
6. Salem International
7. Ohio Valley
8. Ursuline