Contact: Heather Benning, Executive Director, 920-430-0934

St. Norbert College, the defending Midwest Conference (MWC) Champion, is the preseason favorite to win the 2018 softball season based upon results of the annual coaches' poll. Each coach rank orders the league schools, not including their own, and points are awarded on a 9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 scale.

The Green Knights garnered 78 points and five first-place votes to lead the poll. Lake Forest College was second with 69 points (3), followed closely by Illinois College with 68 points. Cornell College, the only other school to receive first-place votes, was selected fourth with 64 points (2). Monmouth College was fifth (50), followed by Grinnell College in sixth (38) and Ripon College in seventh (30). Lawrence University (26), Beloit College (18) and Knox (9) rounded out the rest of the poll.

St. Norbert finished the 2017 campaign with a 21-16 overall record while going 15-3 in league play. As MWC regular-season champs, it earned hosting privileges of the Conference Tournament, an event the Green Knights won to advance to the NCAA DIII Tourney. The team is lead by 2017 Coach of the Year JoAnn Krueger and returns two First Team All-MWC selections, including Emma Molenhouse (So.) and Amanda Diedrich (So.). Diedrich was a 2017 National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Third Team All-Region selection.

Lake Forest (22-16, 12-5 MWC) returns four all-Conference players to its line-up. Riley Frisbie (So.), the 2017 MWC Newcomer of the Year, was a First Team All-MWC selection and a member of the NFCA All-Region Second Team. Also an All-MWC First Team selection is outfielder Maria Zepeda (Jr.). Alyssa Grimm (Sr.) and Sydney Wyatt (So) were All-MWC Second Team picks. The Foresters are led by Joe Kinsella who enters his 12th season as head coach.

The Illinois College Lady Blues' 2017 third-place finish (24-13, 13-4 MWC) was the highest for the program since its 2005 runner-up season. Coach Meghan Roman returns a duo of two-time All-MWC picks in senior Elyse Trout and junior Jackie Reilly, while senior Mariah Hedges and junior Jess Feig each made All-MWC for the first time in 2017.

Jackie Sernek '14 took over the reigns of the Cornell College program prior to the start of the school year and looks to guide her alma mater to its first title since 2013 - a championship of which she was a part. The Rams boast the 2017 Pitcher of the Year in junior Haley Harmon. Harmon is a two-time All-MWC selection and a 2017 NFCA Second Team All-Region pick along with sophomore Carley Robison. Senior Melissa Orton, also a two-time all-league selection, is the third player to be recognized by the NFCA. Senior Stephanie Xavier is the team's fourth All-MWC honoree.

Positioned in the fifth and sixth spots are two teams poised to play spoiler. Both programs have the advantage of three-time All-MWC players on their teams. Monmouth College finished in the top half of the Conference last year (18-17, 10-8 MWC) and can be a contender behind the proven arm of pitcher Liz Hippen. The senior is a three-time All-MWC selection and was the Pitcher of the Year in 2016 after leading her team to the title game of the MWC Tournament. Sophomores Rebecca Gallis and Laura Dulee also were selected All-MWC. The Fighting Scots are coached by John Goddard -  the winningest coach in Monmouth history.

Grinnell College is home to the 2017 Player of the Year Kayla Morrissey. The senior is a 2017 NFCA All-Great Lakes First Team All-Region honoree, and a three-time All-MWC selection. She is joined by junior Mikyla Murphy who made her first appearance on the all-league team as a sophomore. Coach Amanda Reckamp enters her eighth year leading the program. Last year her Pioneers broke eight school records, while in 2016 they compiled 16 wins - the most since 2006. 

Picked to finish seventh, Ripon College (13-23, 8-10 MWC) returns two All-MWC Second Team selections - Tene Robinson (Sr.) and Lexi Reetz (Jr.), while sixth place Lawrence University (14-22, 5-13 MWC) boasts NFCA Third Team All-Region pick Amanda Karnatz (So.) and Second Team All-Conference selection Kori Looker (Sr.).

Madi Christine (So.) is the sole returning All-MWC honoree for Beloit College (8-28, 5-13 MWC), who was picked to finish ninth. Knox College (1-27, 0-18 MWC) rounded out the poll.

Coaches' Poll

St. Norbert	78 (5)
Lake Forest	69 (3)
Illinois College	68
Cornell	64 (2)
Monmouth	50
Grinnell	38
Ripon	30
Lawrence	26
Beloit	18
Knox	9