2022 RSC Softball Preseason Poll: (RV) Rio Grande predicted 1st, (RV) IU Southeast 2nd
MIDDLETOWN, Ohio -- The 2022 River States Conference Softball Preseason Coaches' Poll has predicted (RV) University of Rio Grande (Ohio) No. 1 in the conference this year. (RV) IU Southeast, the RSC's other squad that is receiving national votes, was picked second.
Rio Grande received a total of 81 votes in the polling of the RSC's softball head coaches, which included nine of a possible 10 first-place votes. The RedStorm is the top pick in the league coming off its RSC Championship victory in 2021. Rio Grande ended the year 48-16 overall, 24-3 RSC, and it came within one game of the NAIA Softball World Series. The RedStorm reached the NAIA Opening Round finals but fell just short.
Rio Grande has won five of the last six RSC Championship tournaments that have been conducted. The RedStorm begins the year "receiving votes" nationally and just outside the NAIA Softball Coaches' Top 25 Preseason Poll. Rio Grande is projected as the top team in the RSC East Division.
IU Southeast was voted second in the RSC poll with 69 votes and the remaining first-place vote. The Grenadiers had a very strong season in 2021 as well with a final record of 47-18 overall and 22-8 RSC. IU Southeast is predicted as the RSC West Division winner. Like Rio Grande, IU Southeast was one game shy of the NAIA World Series. The Grenadiers are receiving votes in the NAIA Top 25 as well.
Things have come down to Rio Grande and IU Southeast the last several years, and this year is predicted the same way. Rio Grande came out on top, 6-5, in a winner-take-all second championship game in the finals of last year's tournament. It was the first conference tournament held in two years due to COVID. IU Southeast's tournament title in 2019 ended a streak of four straight titles for Rio Grande.
After the top two teams, there is a log jam in third place in the poll. Tied for third in the voting with 53 votes each are Carlow (Pa.) University, Midway (Ky.) University and WVU Tech. Those were three of the four playoff qualifiers last year other than Rio Grande and IU Southeast. Asbury was also in the playoff but has left the conference.
Carlow made a memorable run late in the regular season to make the playoffs and knocked off IU Southeast along the way. Midway was second in the RSC West last year and along with Carlow is picked as a divisional runner-up this year as well. WVU Tech was in the last three teams left in last year's RSC Championship but was edged by IU Southeast, 5-4, in nine innings in the semifinals. Of the three tied teams, Carlow was picked runner-up in the overall conference by two coaches, and Midway got one such nod.
Point Park (Pa.) University was picked sixth overall and third in the RSC East with 47 votes. RSC newcomer St. Mary-of-the-Woods (Ind.) College was predicted third in the RSC West and seventh overall with 35 votes. Oakland City (Ind.) University with 30 votes followed by Ohio Christian University (16) and Brescia (Ky.) University (13) rounded out the 10 teams in the poll.
2022 RIVER STATES CONFERENCE SOFTBALL COACHES' TOP 25 POLL
(First-Place Votes in Parenthesis)
| School | Votes |
| 1. Rio Grande (Ohio) (9) | 81 |
| 2. IU Southeast (1) | 69 |
| T-3 Carlow (Pa.) | 53 |
| T-3 Midway (Ky.) | 53 |
| T-3 WVU Tech | 53 |
| 6. Point Park (Pa.) | 47 |
| 7. St. Mary-of-the-Woods (Ind.) | 35 |
| 8. Oakland City (Ind.) | 30 |
| 9. Ohio Christian | 16 |
| 10. Brescia (Ky.) | 13 |