2023 RSC Softball Coaches' Preseason Poll: SMWC edges Rio Grande as favorite
MIDDLETOWN, Ohio -- The 2023 River States Conference Softball Coaches' Preseason Poll has St. Mary-of-the-Woods (Ind.) College on top just ahead of University of Rio Grande (Ohio). The Pomeroys edged the RedStorm as this year's favorite in the voting of the 11 RSC softball head coaches in the league.
St. Mary-of-the-Woods (Ind.) won the RSC Championship postseason tournament over Rio Grande last season. Both teams are "receiving votes" in the NAIA Softball Coaches' Preseason Top 25 Poll this year. St. Mary-of-the-Woods received 89 votes in the RSC preseason wherease Rio Grande received 87. The 11 first-place votes from the coaches were split with SMWC getting 11 and Rio Grande the other four.
Midway (Ky.) University was picked third in the RSC preseason poll with 69 votes followed closely behind by Indiana University Southeast fourth in the poll with 67 votes. Along with preseason favorite SMWC, that makes three of the top four teams in the poll from the RSC West Division.
A pair of RSC East Division schools are next in the poll with Ohio Christian University and Point Park (Pa.) University tied for fifth overall with 54 votes each. Predicted just outside of the playoff picture -- which is for the top three teams in each division -- are WVU Tech with 42 votes and Oakland City (Ind.) University with 36 votes. Rounding out the 11-team conference were Carlow (Pa.), Alice Lloyd (Ky.) and Brescia (Ky.).
St. Mary-of-the-Woods' run to the RSC title last year was with a record of 29-14 overall, 19-7 RSC. The Pomeroys won the RSC West in their first year in the conference. It was also the first NAIA national tournament appearance. Rio Grande won the RSC East last year and ended the season at 40-15 overall, 22-2 RSC with another NAIA national tournament run of its own.
Midway (30-16) and IU Southeast (25-25) were both 16-10 RSC last year to qualify for the playoffs from the west. Ohio Christian (23-21, 18-8 RSC) and Point Park (23-22, 13-13 RSC) were other playoff teams from the east side.
2023 RSC SOFTBALL COACHES' PRESEASON POLL
(First-Place Votes in Parenthesis)
1. St. Mary-of-the-Woods (Ind.) (7) -- 87
2. Rio Grande (Ohio) (4) -- 84
3. Midway (Ky.) -- 69
4. IU Southeast -- 67
T-5. Ohio Christian -- 54
T-5. Point Park (Pa.) -- 54
7. WVU Tech -- 42
8. Oakland City (Ind.) -- 36
9. Carlow (Pa.) -- 25
10. Alice Lloyd (Ky.) -- 18
11. Brescia (Ky.) -- 15