BRIDGEPORT, W.Va. – The Mountain East Conference released its annual softball preseason poll on Thursday afternoon following a vote by the league's coaches. West Virginia State was picked to finish third in the MEC South Division.

The Yellow Jackets are coming off a 2022 season in which they finished 22-25 overall and 18-14 in league play. They made their fourth-straight appearance in the MEC Tournament last season after finishing fourth in the South Division. State advanced to the finals of the MEC Tournament two years ago and narrowly missed out on the regional round of the NCAA Tournament.

WVSU returns three All-MEC selections from last year in graduate pitcher Kasey Murphy, junior pitcher Autumn Thompson and graduate infielder Emma Ruth. Murphy earned All-MEC First Team and Second Team All-Region honors last season after leading the Yellow Jackets in nearly every batting and pitching statistical category. Thompson was an All-MEC Second Team honoree after she similarly posted solid numbers both in the circle and at the plate. Ruth joined Thompson as an All-MEC Second Team honoree for her fielding aptitude in a utility role as well as her bat.

Head Coach Mattie Best returns for her fifth year at the helm in 2023. Under her direction, the Yellow Jackets have captured one conference championship and one regular season title while making two NCAA Tournament appearances. She holds a 101-76 overall record (.571) and 59-36 conference record (.589) as head coach going into this season.

WVSU is slated to finish in third place in the MEC South Division this year. West Virginia Wesleyan was picked as the clear favorite to win the division with 63 points and nine first-place votes after advancing to the finals of the regional round of the NCAA Tournament. Charleston was voted second with 56 points and the remaining three first-place votes. State came in third with 44 points while Davis & Elkins and Glenville trailed closely with 36 and 29 points respectively. Concord rounded out the divisional poll with 18 points.

In the North Division, three teams were bunched at the top in the preseason poll. Frostburg State emerged as the favorites with 61 points and six first-place votes. The Bobcats shared the divisional title with West Liberty last season. The Hilltoppers tied for second place with Fairmont State in the preseason voting. The Falcons are the defending conference champions. Fairmont received four first-place votes while West Lib received two. Notre Dame (37 points), Wheeling (25 points) and Alderson Broaddus (16 points) made up the bottom half of the North Division rankings.

The Yellow Jackets will begin their 2023 campaign on Friday, Feb. 3 at the UNC Pembroke Invitational. The full 2023 softball schedule can be viewed here.

2023 Mountain East Conference Softball Preseason Poll
NORTH DIVISION
1. Frostburg State (6) 61
T2. Fairmont State (4) 52
T2. West Liberty (2) 52
4. Notre Dame 37
5. Wheeling 25
6. Alderson Broaddus 19

SOUTH DIVISION
1. West Va. Wesleyan (9) 63
2. Charleston (3) 56
3. West Virginia State 44
4. Davis & Elkins 36
5. Glenville State 29
6. Concord 18

( ) – First-place votes