Eagle Softball Picked To Finish Eighth In 2024 Great Midwest Preseason Poll

Ashland University's softball team has been picked to finish eighth by Great Midwest Athletic Conference head coaches, as the 2024 Great Midwest Softball Coaches Preseason poll was revealed on Wednesday (Jan. 24) afternoon.
 
The Eagles received 100 voting points. Hillsdale is the preseason favorite with six first-place votes and 175 voting points, Trevecca Nazarene is second with six first-place votes and 168 voting points, and Ohio Dominican is slotted third with two first-place votes and 165 voting points.
 
In 2023, Ashland finished 21-29 overall and 13-11 in the Great Midwest, qualifying for the league tournament.
 
Led by seventh-year head coach Emlyn Knerem, the Eagles return a pair of all-conference players from a season ago – first-team sophomore second baseman Danielle Robbins (.391 batting average, 30 runs scored, 14 RBIs, 15 stolen bases in 2023) and second-team junior pitcher Cassidy Shaffer (.270 average, two home runs, 25 RBIs, 4-7 record, one save, 4.80 earned-run average in 2023).
 
Ashland will start the new season on Feb. 16-17 with four games at the Music City Invitational in Smyrna, Tenn.
 

RANK/TEAM (FIRST-PLACE VOTES)	VOTING POINTS
1. Hillsdale (6)	175
2. Trevecca Nazarene (6)	168
3. Ohio Dominican (2)	165
4. Findlay	146
5. Tiffin	127
T6. Northwood	117
T6. Cedarville	117
8. ASHLAND	100
9. Walsh	86
10. Malone	64
11. Thomas More	63
12. Lake Erie	51
13. Kentucky Wesleyan	48
14. Ursuline	43