EDISON, N.J. – In its second season in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC), Sacred Heart University softball was picked fifth in the 2026 Preseason Coaches' Poll, as announced by the conference on Wednesday.
In addition to preseason rankings being debuted, the 2026 Preseason All-MAAC Team was announced. Senior pitcher
Sam Kowalski represents the Pioneers on the Preseason All-MAAC Team.
The Pioneers went 21-27 in 2025, including 11-13 in their first season in the MAAC. SHU earned the eighth seed in the league tournament, falling in the first round to No. 5 Canisius in a pitching duel between Kowalski and the Golden Griffins' ace.
Kowalski continued to ascend as a junior in 2025, starting 25 games and appearing in 33 in the circle. She collected 12 of the team's 21 wins on the season, finishing with a career-low 2.17 ERA with a career-best 180 strikeouts over 171.0 innings. Kowalski was third in the MAAC last season in both strikeouts and ERA. At the plate, the San Clemente, Calif., native owned a .325 batting average, adding 12 RBIs, seven runs, nine doubles and a triple to her stat line.
The Pioneers open the 2026 season on Friday, Feb. 13, at the Lowcountry Classic, hosted by Charleston Southern in Charleston, S.C.
2026 Softball Preseason Coaches' Poll
| 1 |
Marist |
167 (11) |
| 2 |
Fairfield |
144 (1) |
| 3 |
Siena |
143 (1) |
| 4 |
Iona |
117 |
| 5 |
Sacred Heart |
109 |
| 6 |
Rider |
103 |
| 7 |
Quinnipiac |
98 |
| 8 |
Canisius |
91 |
| 9 |
Merrimack |
55 |
| 10 |
Manhattan |
54 |
| 11 |
Mount St. Mary's |
50 |
| 12 |
Niagara |
29 |
| 13 |
Saint Peter's |
23 |
