FREELAND, Mich. -- The Trine University softball team has been selected to finish as Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) champions by the association head coaches in this year's preseason poll.
The Thunder received votes totaling 61 points including six first-place votes to take the top spot in the poll. Calvin University came in second in the poll with 54 points and two first-place votes, while Hope College rounded out the top three with 51 points and the last first-place vote.
"This has to be one of the toughest preseason polls to do with so many unknowns for all the teams," said head coach Don Danklefsen, "I'm glad to be picked to finish first, but I expect a lot of change as teams figure themselves out over the first weeks of the season."
Last season Trine also found themselves atop the MIAA Preseason Poll, but the season was cut short before they could defend their 2019 MIAA regular-season title. They finished off with a 7-3 record.
Despite the small sample size a few young standouts already made a name for themselves last season. Then freshman Amanda Prather (Indianapolis, Ind. / Roncalli) led the team offensively last season finishing with three home runs, 14 total hits and 14 runners batted in on a .424 batting average. Another standout freshman was Ellie Trine (Kokomo, Ind. / Kokomo) who came in second on the team with ten hits including three doubles.
The team will also return players with more experience under their belts. Ashley Swartout (Westfield, Ind. / Westfield) will return as a junior after finishing last season with ten hits, after following up a strong freshman campaign.
Mercede Daugherty (Watervilet, Mich. / Watervilet) returns for her senior campaign after tallying seven hits last season. She was named All-Region in 2019 by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) and led the team with 15 doubles.
Victoria Porter (Canton, Mich. / Canton) will also return to the lineup after a strong 2019 campaign where she was named second-team All-MIAA, finishing the regular season with a .414 batting average and 20 runners batted in.
"Offensively we are going to be very versatile and I expect us to be a much tougher out this year," continued Danklefsen, "And as far as pitching goes this is one of the deepest staffs we have ever had."
Anchoring that staff will be Hannah Kampmann (St. Paul, Minn. / Cretin Derham Hall) who returns for a final season after a staggering 2019 performance, where she was named MIAA Pitcher of the Year. Another anchor will be Anna Koeppl (Perrysburg, Ohio / Perrysburg) who turned in a strong start last season during her freshman campaign.
The Thunder also start the season ranked 22nd in the nation by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA).