2024 RSC Softball Coaches' Preseason Poll: (RV) IU Southeast picked as favorite this year
MIDDLETOWN, Ohio -- Indiana University Southeast tops the 2024 River States Conference Softball Coaches' Preseason Poll as this year's favorite in the league. The Grenadiers led the polling of the RSC's 12 head coaches leading a trio of teams close at the top of the prediction.
IU Southeast, the RSC Championship runner-up last year, earned 115 total votes and five first-place votes in the poll. The Grenadiers were an NAIA national tournament qualifier as the RSC regular-season and RSC West Division champion at 34-19 overall, 23-7 RSC. IU Southeast has gained national recognition this preseason coming in "receiving votes" in the NAIA Softball Coaches' Preseason Top 25 Poll.
St. Mary-of-the-Woods (Ind.) College was picked second in the poll with 112 total votes and a league-high six first-place votes. The Pomeroys won their second RSC Championship in a row last year making another run to a title and NAIA national tournament qualification at 36-16 overall, 20-8 RSC.
University of Rio Grande (Ohio) came in third in the poll with 104 total votes and the last first-place vote. The RedStorm won the RSC East Division last year at 25-18, 22-8 RSC on its was to reaching the final three teams int the RSC Championship.
Next in the preseason poll were the other three RSC Championship qualifiers from last year with Midway (Ky.) University picked fourth overall with 82 points followed by Point Park (Pa.) University in fifth with 73 votes and WVU Tech in sixth with 67 votes.
The next three teams were close in the votes with Ohio Christian University seventh with 58 votes, RSC newcomer Shawnee State (Ohio) University eighth with 56 votes and Oakland City (Ind.) University ninth with 53 votes. IUPUC in 10th and Alice Lloyd (Ky.) College and Brescia (Ky.) University tied for 11th rounded out the 12 teams in the poll.
2024 RIVER STATES CONFERENCE SOFTBALL COACHES' PRESEASON POLL (NOV. 1)
(First-Place Votes in Parenthesis)
| School |
Votes |
| 1. IU Southeast (5) |
115 |
| 2. St. Mary-of-the-Woods (Ind.) (6) |
112 |
| 3. Rio Grande (Ohio) (1) |
104 |
| 4. Midway (Ky.) |
82 |
| 5. Point Park (Pa.) |
73 |
| 6. WVU Tech |
67 |
| 7. Ohio Christian |
58 |
| 8. Shawnee State (Ohio) |
56 |
| 9. Oakland City (Ind.) |
53 |
| 10. IUPUC |
28 |
| T11. Alice Lloyd (Ky.) |
22 |
| T11. Brescia (Ky.) |
22 |