wasST. PAUL, Minn. On Thursday afternoon, the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) released their preseason coaches' poll for the upcoming 2024 Softball season. The University of Northwestern Softball Team finished in third place a year ago, and that is where the coaches around the conference predicted the Eagles to land once again this season.
The Eagles received 39 points in the poll which gave them their third place position. Bethany Lutheran, the defending UMAC Regular Season Champions, was picked as the favorite to repeat as conference champions by the league's coaches. They received 49 points and seven first place votes while Wisconsin-Superior, the defending UMAC Tournament Champions, was behind them with 41 points and one first place vote to land in second place in the poll.
Minnesota-Morris was the fourth and final team to be predicted to make the UMAC Postseason Tournament as they finished in fourth place in the poll with 29 points. Crown College, who made the UMAC tournament a season ago, received 24 points in the poll to land in fifth place. Martin Luther (17 points), Northland (15 points), and North Central (10 points) rounded out the sixth, seventh, and eighth places in the poll respectively.
UNW Softball Head Coach
Alicia du'Monceaux is entering her 15
th season as the Eagles' head coach which means she has a lot of experience. The same can be said for her team in 2024. The Eagles didn't have a single senior in 2023 which means they are bringing all of their main contributors back for this upcoming season.
Megan Lundt (Frisco, Texas/Lone Star), a senior catcher, is one of the key bats returning to UNW's lineup in 2024. The senior is coming off a year in which she received a handful of accolades including First Team All-UMAC and NCCAA North Central Region Player of the Year. Lundt hit .472, had 32 RBIs, and scored 24 runs.
Jadyn Iverson (West Fargo, N.D./West Fargo), who was named First Team All-UMAC and UMAC All-Defensive team in 2023, also returns for the purple and gold. The lefty hitter finished the season with a batting average of .446 and drove in 31 runs.
Mikayla Gee (Rochester, Minn./John Marshall), a junior who has played primarily second base, also hit .400 for UNW last season and is back in 2024. Gee was a menace on the base paths a season ago, going 24-24 in stolen bases.
This trio is just a snippet of the talent returning for the Eagles this upcoming season. That talent will be on display as early as this week as UNW opens up their season on Saturday, February 17
th. The Eagles will play Saint Mary's and St. Catherine in a double header at the BLC Kwik Trip Invitational in Mankato to open their 2024 campaign.
2024 UMAC Softball Preseason Coaches Poll
1. Bethany Lutheran | 49 (7)
2. Wisconsin-Superior | 41 (1)
3. Northwestern | 39
4. Minnesota Morris | 29
5. Crown | 24
6. Martin Luther | 17
7. Northland | 15
8. North Central | 10
