FREELAND, Mich. – The Trine University softball team has been selected to repeat as Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) champions by the association head coaches in this year's preseason poll.
The Thunder received votes totaling 63 points including seven first-place votes to take the top spot in the poll. Calvin University came in second in the poll with 57 points and a first-place vote. Hope College rounded out the top three with 51 points and the last first-place vote.
Last season Trine finished the regular season atop the league table with a 14-2 record in MIAA play. Despite falling in the MIAA Tournament they received an at-large bid to the NCAA Division III Championship where they would go on a historic run, ending the season tied for third in the country.
Trine will look to lean on a cast of returning players in this year's quest for the 10th regular-season MIAA title in program history.
Headlining the returning players are the MIAA top award receivers from a year ago.
Makenna Hartline (Niles, Mich. / Brandywine) returns to the lineup and the field after getting the nod as the MIAA Player of the Year. She was also named to the NFCA all-region team. She led the team with 11 home runs, a .503 on-base percentage, a .727 slugging percentage and 35 walks.
In the circle, Hannah Kampmann (St. Paul, Minn. / Cretin Derham Hall) returns to the team after being named the MIAA Pitcher of the Year. She finished the regular season leading the team with 83 strikeouts and second with a 1.51 ERA. She finished MIAA play with a perfect 7-0 record and topped the stat chart with wins and strikeouts (44).
In addition, the team returns two all-MIAA selections. Michaela Hartline (Niles, Mich. / Brandywine returns for her senior campaign having earned first-team honors. She finished the regular season second on the team with 22 walks and five home runs. She also came in with a .451 on-base percentage and a .557 slugging percentage during the regular season. During MIAA play she finished only behind her sister with 12 walks and came in eighth with a .700 slugging percentage.
Senior Victoria Porter (Canton, Mich. / Canton) was one of two second-team All-MIAA recipients on the team and the lone returner. She finished the regular season with a .414 batting average including 20 RBIs on 29 hits.
The team will begin the 2020 season on Sunday, March 1 as they begin their spring break slate of games in Clermont, Fla. They start with a contest against Northland College which is scheduled to begin at 12:15 p.m.