ROCK HILL, S.C.   – The Wingate Bulldogs have been voted as the preseason favorite in the 2025 South Atlantic Conference Softball Preseason Coaches’ Poll. The Bulldogs won the regular season title in 2024 and will look to repeat this season.

Wingate narrowly edged out Lenoir-Rhyne as each program earned six first-place votes. However, the Bulldogs had an eight-point edge in total points over the Bears. Wingate is led by returning Player of the Year in Savanna Brooks who is joined by OF Kaylee Hobgood and P Hali Scott on the Preseason First Team All-Conference. Wingate is ranked No. 19 in the NFCA preseason national poll.

The Bears were voted second and come off the deepest run in the postseason in program history. LR advanced to the NCAA Division II softball championships and won 52 games in 2024. 3B Madison Primm, C Lani Warren and P Madison Wilson were named Preseason First Team All-Conference. The Bears are No. 4 in the NFCA preseason national poll.

Anderson slots in third with 120 points in the poll. On top of OF Maddie Carpenter and DP Carson Hobbs earning Preseason First Team All-Conference and OF Shelby Bandt making the second team, the Trojans also have reigning Freshman of the Year in 2B Paige Vickery returning.

Carson-Newman was just two points behind Anderson, coming in fourth in the coaches’ voting. The Eagles hit a SAC-best .337 as a team last year and Hayden Dye led the league in slugging percentage at .803. The Eagles earned one first-place vote.

Lincoln Memorial slots in at No. 5 with 94 points and are trailed by Tusculum at No. 6 with 88 points. Newberry comes in at seventh with 82 points and Catawba comes in at eighth with 65 points.

Limestone, Emory & Henry, Coker, UVA Wise and Mars Hill round out the poll.

The softball season opens on Friday, Jan. 31. The SAC Tournament will feature a different format for 2025. Seeds 1-4 will host seeds 5-8 on campus sites in a best-of-three format in the Opening Round April 25-27. The four winners will advance to the Championship series at the highest remaining seed in a double-elimination format to crown a winner on May 2-3.

2025 SAC Softball Preseason Coaches’ Poll