ORLANDO, Fla. – On Friday, the Sunshine State Conference softball coaches chose the Saint Leo University Softball to finish at the top of the standings in 2026. The Lions tied with the reigning national runner-up, the University of Tampa Spartans, with 90 points in the poll, with Saint Leo earning four first-place votes.  
 
Saint Leo is coming off a third straight trip to the postseason in 2025, highlighted by a 40–14 overall record and a second-place finish in the SSC with a 21–9 mark. The Lions reached the 40-win plateau for the second time in three seasons and hosted the NCAA Division II South Region Tournament for the second time during that span. After an 8–8 start, Saint Leo surged down the stretch, riding a 16-game winning streak to earn hosting duties and cement its place among the region's elite.

The Lions return a strong core for the 2026 season, including All-Region honorees Alexis Barber, Briana Neal, Sydney Cline, and Tierney Hocquard, along with All-SSC First Team outfielder Maddie Antioco. The Green & Gold also welcome four freshmen and two transfers, Izzy LaRoche (Seminole State) and Alex Wright (USF), as Saint Leo looks to build on its recent success.
 
Saint Leo's season begins at the end of the month in Gulf Shores, Ala. Opening weekend features six games beginning with West Alabama and AUM on January 30.
 
Below are the full results of the 2026 SSC preseason coaches' poll. Coaches are not allowed to vote for their teams (points: 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1, first-place votes in parentheses).
 
 

2026 SSC SOFTBALL PRESEASON COACHES POLL
Rank	School (FPV)	Total Points
T-1	Tampa (5)	90
T-1	Saint Leo (4)	90
3	Nova Southeastern (1)	81
4	Barry (1)	77
5	Eckerd	64
6	Rollins	57
7	Florida Tech	46
8	Embry-Riddle	43
9	Lynn	24
10	Palm Beach Atlantic	22
11	Florida Southern	11

SSC Softball History: National Championships | Conference Champions | All-SSC Teams | SB Record Book