Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Colorado Christian enters the 2023 season as the favorite according to the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Preseason Softball Poll, the league announced Wednesday. The Cougars captured a league-best 119 points ahead of the 2023 campaign. The RMAC Softball Preseason Poll is voted on by the league’s 12 head coaches and coaches are not permitted to vote for their program.
 
The Cougars enter the year after earning a 49-10 overall record and a 34-4 mark in conference play en route to the RMAC Softball Tournament title. Colorado Christian garners 11 of the league’s first-place votes after qualifying for the 2022 NCAA South Central Softball Tournament. The Cougars return six all-conference selections from last season, including pitcher Alexis Hamilton, infielders Taylor Olsen and Kayla Middleton, outfielders Sami Edwards and Kenzie Middleton and designated player Piper Lujan. Larry Hays returns to lead the Cougars after being named the RMAC Coach of the Year last season where CCU finished first in the nation with 119 doubles and third nationally with 92 home runs.
 
Colorado Mesa checks in second overall in preseason voting with one first-place vote and 107 points after finishing the 2022 campaign with a 35-3 conference record to secure the RMAC regular-season title. The Mavericks’ offense has consistently been a point of pride in Grand Junction and 2022 was no different as CMU closed the season ranked first in NCAA Division II for home runs (100) and home runs per game (1.85). Colorado Mesa returns four All-RMAC honorees from one year ago in Ally Distler, Myah Arrieta, Ashley Bradford and Brandi Haller.
 
Metropolitan State University of Denver rounds out the top-three spots in the preseason poll, racking up 100 points and the league’s final first-place vote. The Roadrunners enter the 2023 campaign with momentum after an impressive run that concluded with a runner-up finish at the 2022 RMAC Softball Tournament. Jaiden Geist, Kami Grammerstorf and Audrey Burt return for MSU Denver after helping their squad to a 23-15 conference record and a 38-22 overall mark last season. 
 
Regis enters the season ranked fourth overall in preseason voting with 95 points, while University of Colorado Colorado Springs sits fifth overall with 73 points. Fort Lewis checks in at No. 6 with 69 points, followed by Colorado School of Mines in seventh place with 62 points.
 
Colorado State University Pueblo resides in the eighth-place position with 56 points, just ahead of Chadron State in ninth place with 42 points. Black Hills State (31 points), Adams State (23 points) and New Mexico Highlands (15 points) round out preseason voting.
 
The 2023 RMAC Softball campaign is set to get underway on Friday, Feb. 3, when six schools will open their respective seasons. The 2023 RMAC Softball Tournament is scheduled for May 4-6, at the site of the regular-season champion.