Cleveland Ohio -- The Mid-American Conference announced Monday afternoon the 2021 MAC Softball preseason poll and predicted MAC Regular Season Champion as voted on by the head coaches of the 11 MAC institutions with one coach abstaining from the vote. 

The Kent State Golden Flashes were selected to finish the 2021 season on top of the MAC as Head Coach Eric Oakley and his team come off of a shortened 2020 season that saw them finished 9-10 in non-confenrence action only. In the 2019 MAC season, Kent State finished 11-5 in conference play, placing them as the #2 seed in the 2019 MAC Softball Tournament. The Flashes will return 2019 MAC Pitcher of the Year Andrea Scali to the circle this season, along with 2019 MAC Player of the Year Brenna Brownfield. 

The Miami RedHawks finished second in the poll collecting two first place votes from the coaches, followed by Ball State in third with one first place vote. The remaining top half of the 2021 Softball Preseason Poll includes  Ohio, Central Michigan, Northern Illinois, and the 2019 MAC Tournament Champion Toledo Rockets. 

Bowling Green and Western Michigan fall at the 8th and 9th spots in the poll, while Buffalo, and Akron round out the poll respectively. 

The 2021 season began this past Friday, February 12th with teams traveling to compete in non-conference action. To view the complete 2021 MAC Softball schedule, click here.

2021 MAC Softball Preseason Poll
Kent State – 106 (7)
Miami – 94 (2)
Ball State - 88 (1)
Ohio - 76
Central Michigan - 66
Northern Illinois - 60
Toledo – 51
Bowling Green - 50
Western Michigan - 36
Buffalo - 19
Akron – 13
 
(*) First Place Votes