The Mid-American Conference (MAC) softball preseason coaches’ poll has been released, certainly not favoring the Orange and Brown.
BGSU softball was picked to finish dead last in conference play, receiving only 13 points. Only one coach in the MAC chose BG to finish second to last and Buffalo to finish last, 11 points being the very minimum a team can receive.
Ohio, Miami (OH), Toledo, and Ball State led the poll, Ohio being the heavy favorite with eight of 11 first-place votes. The same goes for the MAC tournament, with Ohio scoring nine winning votes while Ball State and Toledo each received one.
Miami (OH) won the 2024 MAC regular season and MAC Tournament, a 26-1 MAC record and a 49-9 overall stance. The RedHawks and Ball State met in the MAC Championship game, Miami beating the Cardinals 8-0.
Bowling Green has not finished above last, nor have they made the MAC Tournament since 2022 when they finished 30-18 and 16-11 in the MAC. 2022 was the only winning conference season for BG since 2012, the season Peyton Gottshall won MAC Pitcher of the Year for her 37 starts in 43 appearances, 253 innings pitched, and 2.13 ERA.
The Falcons open up the season on Friday, Feb. 7, taking on USC Upstate at 3:00 p.m. and Monmouth at 5:30 p.m. in a double-header in Spartanburg, S.C.
Full 2025 preseason poll:
2025 MAC Softball Preseason Coaches Poll
(First Place Votes)
1. Ohio (8) – 96 points
2. Miami (1) – 80 points
3. Toledo (1) – 76 points
4. Ball State (1) – 73 points
5. Central Michigan – 65 points
6. Western Michigan – 62 points
7. Akron – 54 points
8. Northern Illinois – 35 points
9. Kent State – 31 points
10. Buffalo – 20 points
11. Bowling Green – 13 points
MAC Tournament Champion: Ohio (9), Ball State (1), Toledo (1)
