COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - Colorado Mesa sits at No. 1 in the 2018 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) Softball Preseason Coaches Poll, announced on Monday.
The preseason poll was voted on by the twelve conference head coaches. Coaches were not allowed to vote for their own team.
Earning the top spot with 121 points and 11 first-place votes, the Mavericks were the 2017 RMAC Champions and RMAC Tournament Champions, going 35-4 in conference play and 48-8 overall. Colorado Mesa made it to game two of the NCAA South Central Regional Tournament, where they fell to No. 1 Angelo State. This season’s team is led by RMAC Preseason Pitcher of the Year, McKenzie Surface, RMAC Preseason Player of the Year, Brooke Hodgson, plus four more players on the Preseason All-RMAC Team.
Colorado School of Mines takes the No. 2 spot, with 103 points. Last season, the Orediggers went 26-10 in RMAC games and fell to the Mavericks in the RMAC championship game, 2-1. They look to come back from that loss this season.
MSU Denver is right behind with 102 points, grabbing the No. 3 spot. The Roadrunners ended the 2017 season 26-12 in conference games and look to return to the RMAC Tournament this season.
Regis tallied one first-place vote and 90 points for fourth place. Last year, the Rangers went 22-16 in conference play, good enough for a trip to the RMAC Tournament.
In fifth place is Chadron State with 80 points. The No. 4 seed in last year’s RMAC Tournament made it to game 13, falling to Colorado School of Mines, who moved on to the championship game. They look to avenge that loss in 2018.
Colorado Christian is right behind at No. 6 with 77 points. The Cougars finished 2017 with a 17-15 conference record.
Tied for seventh place are CSU-Pueblo and Adams State with 51 points apiece.
CSU-Pueblo went 16-24 last year, just shy of making the RMAC Tournament, and look to improve that record in 2018.
Adams State clinched a tournament spot last season after going 18-20 in RMAC play.
UCCS sits at No. 9 with 47 points.
New Mexico Highlands earns 34 points for a No. 10 spot.
Tied for 11
th place are Fort Lewis and Black Hills State, each earning 18 points.
The 2018 RMAC Softball season begins on February 2 with several non-conference games.