Defending national champion LSU-Eunice softball ranked No. 1 in preseason

EUNICE, La. – Fresh off of the program’s sixth NJCAA National Championship, LSU Eunice garners the top spot in the preseason NJCAA polls released on Tuesday. It is the fifth time the Bengals have earned the number one ranking in the organization’s preseason poll.

LSUE received five of the seven first place votes with No. 2 Des Moines Area CC receiving the other two votes. The Bengals are one of five Region 23 teams to place in the preseason Top 20, joined by Jones (4), Itawamba (7), Mississippi Gulf Coast (13) and East Central (15).

The Bengals will place 16 games this season against preseason ranked teams across all divisions including five teams in the Division I Top 20.

LSU Eunice returns two everyday starters from last season’s championship team. The Bengals will be under the leadership of first year head coach Meghan Collins.

The 2020 season starts on Friday, January 31 against McLennan CC at the Chipola Invitational at Youngsville Sports Complex in Youngsville, La.

NJCAA Division II Preseason Softball Polls
Rank College (1st Place Votes) State Record Points Prev
1 LSU Eunice (5) LA 0-0 137 –
2 Des Moines Area (2) IA 0-0 131 –
3 Phoenix AZ 0-0 130 –
4 Jones MS 0-0 119 –
5 Highland (KS) KS 0-0 111 –
6 Kirkwood IA 0-0 107 –
7 Itawamba MS 0-0 95 –
8 Johnson County KS 0-0 93 –
9 Madison WI 0-0 85 –
10 St. Louis MO 0-0 74 –
11 Sinclair OH 0-0 64 –
12 Illinois Central IL 0-0 62 –
13 Mississippi Gulf Coast MS 0-0 52 –
14 Pitt NC 0-0 50 –
15 East Central (MS) MS 0-0 41 –
16 Iowa Central IA 0-0 29 –
17 Lansing MI 0-0 28 –
18 Kansas City Kansas KS 0-0 24 –
19 CCBC Catonsville MD 0-0 10 –
20 Kankakee IL 0-0 9 –