FREELAND, Mich. -- The Trine University softball team has been tabbed to repeat as Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) champions by the association's head coaches in this year's preseason poll.
The Thunder received votes tallying 60 points including five first-place votes to take the top spot in the poll. The point totals are determined by votes cast by the association's coaches, who cannon vote for their own team. Two teams came in a tie for second in the poll with 53 points and two first-place votes each. Last season's co-champion Hope College shared the spot with Alma College.
The team also starts this season nationally-ranked after the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) marked them 16th in the preseason edition of their national rankings. They are the only team in the MIAA ranked by that poll, though Calvin University, who came in 4th in the coaches' poll, did receive votes.
Last season saw Trine capture their tenth Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) Regular Season Championship by finishing the season in a tie atop the standings with Hope College. They also completed the eleventh 30-win season in the program's NCAA history by finishing with 30-8 overall record.
The Thunder also collected a swath of individual awards in recognition of their play with all six honorees returning for this year's campaign. Highlighting the group was now fifth year senior Mercede Daugherty (Watervliet, Mich. / Watervliet) who was named NFCA All-Region second team and the MIAA Most Valuable Player.
Six other members of the team earned first or second team honors from the MIAA including junior Amanda Prather (Indianapolis, Ind. / Roncalli) and Anna Koeppl (Perrysburg, Ohio / Perrysburg) and senior Ashley Swartout (Westfield, Ind. / Westfield) on the first team and junior Ellie Trine (Kokomo, Ind. / Kokomo) and sophomore Scarlett Elliott (Utica, Ohio / Utica) on the second team.
A final highlight of the season came when the team defeated Saint Mary's College by the score of 14-4 to complete a sweep, the win was a historic one going down as the 500th victory of head coach Don Danklefsen's career.
The Thunder will open this year's schedule by heading to the 2022 NFCA D3 Leadoff Classic, an invitation only event that hosts the top NCAA Division III team's from around the country. They will open play on Friday, March 4 when they face off with Christopher Newport and Belhaven.