SOFT: Simmons, Albertus Magnus Voted To Finish First In North/South Division in 2026 Preseason Poll

WINTHROP, Mass. – Simmons and Albertus Magnus were selected as the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) softball divisional favorites in the 2026 GNAC Preseason Coaches' Polls, which were conducted last week by the league's 14 softball head coaches. The Sharks earned the top spot in the North Division with 81 points and three first-place votes, while the Falcons sat atop the South Division with 90 points and seven first-place votes.

In the North, Simmons comes into the 2026 campaign looking to be back on top after a tough loss in the pod finals to former GNAC member and eventual champion Johnson and Wales. Rivier looks to bounce back after an early postseason exit in Pod Play as the Raiders earned four first-place votes with 79 points in total. Emmanuel will look to be a competitive squad contending in the North as the Saints collected 77 points and four first-place votes. Saint Joseph’s (Maine) will also look to make some noise in April-May as the Monks collected the final three first-places from the 14 head coaches, totaling to 70 points. New England College (40), Norwich (27), and Colby-Sawyer (18) all look to be sneaky competitors in the North as they round out the 5-7 slots in the division with Colby-Sawyer competing in their inaugural season.

In the South, Albertus Magnus will look to redeem themselves after a pod finals loss to the University of Saint Joseph (Conn.) ended a remarkable season.

USJ received the final seven first-place votes in this year’s poll at 88 points as the runner-ups in last year’s tournament look to avenge their championship series loss last postseason. 

Lasell looks to come back as a perennial contender this year, collecting 56 points in this year’s poll and collecting the third slot with Regis right behind them at 55 points as the Pride look to contend as well. Mitchell (54), Elms (25), and Dean (24) all look to shake up the standings in the South this year as they round out the 5-7 spots in order.

GNAC softball teams get going with their spring break trips starting on Sunday, March 1. After returning home, GNAC play will begin on Saturday, March 21. Teams will play a doubleheader against each team in their division along with three teams in the opposite division to determine divisional standings.

The top four teams in each division at the end of the regular season will qualify for the 2026 GNAC Softball Championship Tournament, which will begin with the teams being split into two, four-team double-elimination pods. Pod Play will take place from Wednesday, April 29 to Sunday, May 3 with the winners of each team advancing to a best-of-three GNAC Championship Series. The Championship Series is scheduled for Friday-Saturday, May 8-9 with the winner earning the title of 2026 GNAC Softball Champion and the league's automatic qualifier into the 2026 NCAA Division III Softball Championship.

2026 GNAC Softball Preseason Polls

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The Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) is an NCAA Division III association made up of 14 member institutions and over 4000 student-athletes across the New England region. Founded in 1995, the GNAC annually sponsors and administers 20 championships, while balancing academic integrity, athletic opportunity and community involvement in an effort to enhance the student-athlete experience.

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