HUDSONVILLE, Mich. – In a preseason poll of nine Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) softball coaches, Trine University was tabbed to finish first in the league after tallying seven first-place votes and a total of 63 points.

Calvin University and Hope College tied-for-second with 55 points each.  The Knights earned the final two first-place votes.  Alma College finished fourth in the preseason poll with 43 points, followed by Kalamazoo College rounding out the top five with 33 points.  Adrian College (25 points) had the edge over Albion College (23 points) to clinch sixth place.  Saint Mary's College totaled 19 points and Olivet College recorded eight points to finish in eighth and ninth place, respectively.

Coaches were not permitted to vote for their own teams.

Prior to finishing the 2022 NCAA Tournament as the national runner-up, Trine (14-2 MIAA, 35-13 overall) was both the MIAA regular-season champion and the MIAA Tournament champion.  The Thunder's roster will be headlined by the 2022 MIAA Most Valuable Pitcher, Adrienne Rosey, and the 2022 MIAA Most Valuable Position Player, Ellie Trine.  Rosey, who is returning for her sophomore season, concluded the 2022 campaign as the league leader in shutouts (5), strikeouts per game (9.45), and fielding percentage (1.000).  She also finished second with 63 strikeouts and a batting-average against of .158.  Last year, senior outfielder Trine led the MIAA with 64 plate appearances, 32 hits, eight doubles, a batting average of .571, a .613 on-base percentage, and a perfect fielding percentage.  Senior shortstop Amanda Prather will also return for Trine after receiving a spot on the All-MIAA First Team last year, along with Second Team pitcher Lauren Clausen and Anna Koeppl.

Calvin made a 12-4 mark in conference competition last season and finished 28-11 overall.  The Knights will look to returning First Team All-MIAA honorees infielder Sydney Duong and pitcher Kirsten Krause during their senior seasons, along with fifth-year senior and three-time All-MIAA outfielder Hannah Biddlecome.  Last year, Duong led the league with two triples and finished in the top five with seven walks.  Krause concluded her junior year as the MIAA's leader with seven wins, eight compete games, 64.0 innings pitched, one triple allowed, 247 at-bats against, and one sacrifice fly allowed.  Biddlecome concluded 2022 with a perfect fielding percentage and three sacrifice hits.  Sophomore catcher Taylor Sanborn will also be returning to the Calvin squad after receiving Second Team All-MIAA accolades.

Hope concluded the 2022 campaign with a league record of 13-3 and an overall record of 26-12.  The Flying Dutch roster will feature junior infielder Grace Henry and senior infielder Lexi Potapczak, who both earned All-MIAA recognition last year.  Henry, a First Team honoree, concluded her sophomore year as the conference leader in both plate appearances (64) and at bats (60).  She was also in the top five with 17 runs, 27 hits, 38 total bases, three stolen bases.  Potapczak recorded nine walks and an on-base percentage of .491.  The Flying Dutch welcome head coach Brittney Harvey in her first season at the helm of the program.

Alma earned a 12-4 MIAA record in 2022 and went 27-15 overall on the road to competing in the NCAA Tournament.  The Scots' roster will be headlined by two-time All-MIAA seniors Emma Fraser and Taylor Griffith.  Fraser, a first baseman/pitcher, wrapped up the 2022 campaign with 69 put outs, an on-base percentage of .492, 54 at bats, 24 hits, and 16 runs.  Griffith, an outfielder for the Scots, finished conference play in the top five with 63 plate appearances, 17 runs, 19 runs batted in, three sacrifice hits, and three stolen bases.  Senior pitcher Daniella Little will also be returning for Alma after receiving Second Team All-MIAA accolades last season.

Kalamazoo finished 2022 with an 8-8 mark in league play and an overall record of 21-13.  The Hornets will look to junior pitcher/outfielder Lizzy Rottenberk, who was selected to the All-MIAA Second Team last season.  Rottenberk finished in the conference's top five with a perfect fielding percentage, 63 plate appearances, 59 at bats, 26 hits, four stolen bases, and a shutout.

The Adrian program (4-12 MIAA, 10-26 overall in 2022) will be led by head coach Kaylee Fox in her first season with the Bulldogs.  Albion concluded the 2022 season with a 2-14 mark in conference contests and an overall record of 10-26.  Saint Mary's (7-9 MIAA, 12-19 overall) welcomes back sophomore outfielder Alexis Rauch after earning Second Team All-MIAA recognition last year.  Olivet finished the 2022 campaign with a 0-16 record against MIAA opponents and an overall record of 2-23 overall.

MIAA competition is slated to begin on Wednesday, April 5, with Kalamazoo hosting Alma for a doubleheader beginning at 3:00 p.m.

The 2023 MIAA Softball Tournament will be held May 11-13.  The winner will receive an automatic berth to the NCAA Division III Softball Championship.