Simmons, JWU selected to finish atop of North/South Divisions In Preseason Poll
WINTHROP, Mass. – Simmons and Johnson & Wales were selected as the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) softball divisional favorites in the 2025 GNAC Preseason Coaches' Polls, which were conducted last week by the league's 15 softball head coaches.
The Sharks earned the top spot in the North Division with 96 points and nine first-place votes, while the Wildcats sat atop the South Division with 109 points and seven first-place votes.
Simmons comes into the 2025 campaign as the defending back-to-back GNAC Champions as the Sharks fought their way through pod play, defeating Emmanuel in extra innings and besting top-seeded South Division Lasell twice before completing a comeback in the championship series to upset top-seed Saint Joseph's (Maine) and earn the NCAA's automatic qualifying berth into the 2024 NCAA DIII Softball Championship.
In NCAA Regional action, after dropping their opening game to eventual NCAA DIII Champion East Texas Baptist University, the Sharks looked to bounce back in regional play against Chapman in the elimination bracket but fell short.
JWU looks to bounce back this year after finishing third in the South Division (11-3 in GNAC play) and narrowly sneaking into the GNAC Championship series in last year's postseason.
Both divisions strive to be extremely competitive with five other teams earning first-place votes in their respective divisions.
In the North, 2024 GNAC runner-up Saint Joseph's (Maine) ranked second in this year's voting with the Monks collecting 90 points and five-place votes, followed by Emmanuel, who placed third with 83 points while collecting a first-place vote of their own. Both squads also received two first place votes. Rivier and New England College rounded out the top five in the North Division with 57 and 45 points, respectively. Closing out the North Division were Anna Maria (26 points) and Norwich (23) in that order.
Taking the second spot in the South Division was top-division finisher Lasell, who finished 12-2 in conference play, as they look to bounce back from a Pod Finals exit. Albertus Magnus comes in third in this year's voting with 93 points and two first-place votes. Mitchell collected the final first-place vote coming in fourth with 77 points while the University of Saint Joseph (Conn.) collected 67 points to round out the top five slots. Regis (47), Dean (26), and Elms (23) closed out the South Division in that order.
GNAC softball teams get going with their spring break trips starting on Sunday, March 2. After returning home, GNAC play will begin on Saturday, March 29. Teams will play a doubleheader against each team in their division to determine divisional standings.
The top five teams in each division at the end of the regular season will qualify for the 2025 GNAC Softball Championship Tournament, which will begin with a single-elimination Play-In round featuring the No. 4 and No. 5 seeds in each division on Tuesday, April 29. Following the Play-In games, the teams will be split into two, four-team double-elimination pods. Pod Play will take place from Thursday, May 1 to Sunday, May 4 with the winners of each team advancing to a best-of-three GNAC Championship Series. The Championship Series is scheduled for Friday-Saturday, May 9-10 with the winner earning the title of 2025 GNAC Softball Champion and the league's automatic qualifier into the 2025 NCAA Division III Softball Championship.
2025 GNAC Softball Preseason Polls
| NORTH DIVISION | ||
| 1. | Simmons | 96 (9) |
| 2. | Saint Joseph's (Maine) | 90 (5) |
| 3. | Emmanuel | 83 (1) |
| 4. | Rivier | 57 |
| 5. | New England College | 45 |
| 6. | Anna Maria | 26 |
| 7. | Norwich | 23 |
| SOUTH DIVISION | ||
| 1. | Johnson & Wales | 109 (7) |
| 2. | Lasell | 98 (5) |
| 3. | Albertus Magnus | 93 (2) |
| 4. | Mitchell | 77 (1) |
| 5. | University of Saint Joseph (Conn.) | 67 |
| 6. | Regis | 47 |
| 7. | Dean | 26 |
| 8. | Elms | 23 |
ABOUT THE GREAT NORTHEAST ATHLETIC CONFERENCE
The Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) is an NCAA Division III association made up of 16 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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