ST. LOUIS, Mo. – Coming off their second trip to the NAIA National Championship in the last three eligible years, the William Woods University softball team was picked to finish fourth in the American Midwest Conference. The AMC Preseason Coaches' Poll was announced Wednesday morning by the conference office.
"We have a good mix of returners and some exciting newcomers added to our program," said Head Coach
Tracy Gastineau. "We have good team chemistry and a culture that we hope will transition to the field for added success. We look forward to the challenges ahead and to see where this season takes us."
The Owls return 12 and welcome 10 new faces to the program. They kick off the 2023 season on Friday, Feb. 3, at the Louisiana Christian Invitational. To view the Owls' schedule, click
here.
Last season, the Owls went to the NAIA National Championship Opening Round. The team grabbed the AMC's second automatic qualifier after beating Missouri Baptist on back-to-back days in AMC Tournament pool play to advance to the championship series. The Owls finished the season in the NAIA National Championship Opening Round with a 23-25 overall record while finishing 9-9 in conference play.
No. 16-ranked Columbia received 10 of the conference's 11 first-place votes to win the AMC poll. Receiving votes Cottey placed second with 80 points, and Missouri Baptist edged out the Owls for third by two points.
2023 AMC Preseason Coaches' Poll
| Place |
School |
Total Points (1st-place votes) |
| 1 |
Columbia |
100 (10) |
| 2 |
Cottey |
80 (1) |
| 3 |
Missouri Baptist |
79 |
| 4 |
William Woods |
77 |
| 5 |
Central Baptist |
73 |
| 6 |
Hannibal-LaGrange |
46 |
| 7 |
Lyon |
45 |
| 8 |
Williams Baptist |
43 |
| 9 |
Health Sciences & Pharmacy |
31 |
| 10 |
Stephens |
21 |
| 11 |
Harris-Stowe |
10 |
