NEW YORK | Will the Skyline Conference Softball Championship run through Farmingdale State College again in 2023?
The Skyline Conference's 10 head softball coaches seem to think so, selecting three-time defending champion FSC as No. 1 in the 2023 preseason poll. In the process, the Rams secured seven first-place votes.
FSC won its third-consecutive conference crown (pictured above) last spring – ninth overall – in a 6-0 shutout over second-seeded Manhattanville College.
The two programs are expected to headline once again.
The Valiants are tabbed No. 2 in this year’s edition of the preseason poll, taking the other three first-place votes (coaches were not allowed to vote for their own team).
Head coach Liz Pennino's Rams return a solid core as she enters her fourth season at the helm. FSC totaled 79 points to top the poll.
Manhattanville head coach Dale Martin's Valiants finished right behind with 74 points in the tally, while Mount Saint Mary College (64), St. Joseph’s University-Brooklyn (51) and St. Joseph’s University-Long Island (50) round out the top five.
The six-team 2023 Skyline Conference Softball Championship gets underway with first-round action on Tuesday, May 9, before the four-team, double-elimination portion of the tourney is contested from May 11-13.
The winner of the Skyline title earns automatic qualification to the following week's 2023 NCAA Division III Softball Championship.
2023 Skyline Conference Softball Preseason Coaches Poll
Pl., Team (2022 record, 2022 conference record), Pts. (first-place votes)
1. Farmingdale State (29-5, 17-1 Skyline), 79 (7 first-place votes)
2. Manhattanville (26-16, 16-2), 74 (3)
3. Mount Saint Mary (20-19, 15-3), 64
4. St. Joseph’s-Brooklyn (24-14, 10-8), 51
5. St. Joseph's-Long Island (16-14, 11-7), 50
6. Purchase (10-22, 6-12), 36
7. Mount Saint Vincent (7-21, 4-14), 35
8. Old Westbury (9-21, 9-9), 33
9. Sarah Lawrence (2-20, 2-16), 19
10. Yeshiva (0-24, 0-18), 9