ST. LOUIS - Southern Illinois has been picked as this year's Missouri Valley Conference preseason favorite by the league’s softball head coaches. Southern Illinois is the reigning back-to-back Missouri Valley Tournament Champions. The Salukis received 129 points and four first-place votes. Belmont follows closely behind in 2nd with 125 points and three first-place votes. UNI rounds out the top three with 121 points and four first-place votes.
Illinois State lands closely outside the top three with 115 points. Bradley earned 5th place with 101 points. Missouri State and Drake earn 6th and 7th with the Bears earning 72 points and the Bulldogs receiving 70. Murray State (58 points) is 8th, UIC (53 points and one first-place vote) is 9th. Evansville 10th (44 points), Indiana State 11th (35 points), and Valparaiso 12th (13 points) finish out the poll.
Southern Illinois has been voted in the top three of the preseason poll for an eighth-straight year. Belmont's 2nd place nod is the highest the Bruins have earned since joining the MVC and this also marks the first time Belmont has received first-place votes.
Eight Valley teams are represented in this year's Preseason All-MVC team. Illinois State leads the way with four selections. Southern Illinois is the only other team to have more than one player. Belmont, Bradley, Evansville, UIC, Missouri State, and UNI all have one player.
Southern Illinois' Jackie Lis and Emma Austin are the only two players returning to the Preseason All-MVC team. Ten players on this year's Preseason All-MVC earned First or Second team All-Conference honors last season. Jackie Lis of Southern Illinois earned the Most Valuable Player and Sydney Kennedy of Bradley earned Newcomer of the Year last year.
