UT Softball Picked as SSC Preseason Favorite

MELBOURNE, Fla. – Sunshine State Conference coaches have selected the University of Tampa as the preseason favorite in 2024. With 98 points and eight first-place votes in the poll, the Spartans are expected to grab the program's seventh league title.

Nova Southeastern repeats as the coaches' pick for runner-up with 89 points and two first-place votes. Saint Leo slides into third with 85 points and the final first-place vote. Rollins takes fourth place with 72 points, while Embry-Riddle receives fifth place with 61 points. Barry occupies sixth place by the slimmest point margin, 48 to 47, over Florida Tech. Florida Southern (39 points), Lynn (27 Points), Eckerd (22 points), and Palm Beach Atlantic (17 points) round out this year's preseason ranking.

2024 SSC SOFTBALL SCHEDULE

Tampa captured the 2023 conference title outright, following a 28-2 (.933) league record, becoming the first SSC team to sport a winning percentage over .900 since the 2011 Rollins squad (.957). Along with UT, Saint Leo and Nova Southeastern represented the SSC in the 2023 NCAA Division II Softball tournament. UT and NSU emerged victorious from South Regionals #1 and #2, meeting in a best-of-three-game super regional in Tampa. NSU advanced to its first NCAA Softball World Series after taking games one and three from the Spartans.

NSU's final site visit is the 15th in conference history and the first since Saint Leo made the trip in 2018. Florida Southern owns the SSC's only softball national championship in 1993 and finished as runner-up in 1987 and 2004. Barry claimed the league's only other runner-up finish in 1998.

The first action of the 2024 season is slated for Friday, February 2nd, with 10 teams in action. League play begins with five contests on Friday, February 16th.

Below are the full results of the 2024 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).

2023 SSC SOFTBALL PRESEASON COACHES POLL