Rock Hill, S.C. – The Big South Conference released the annual preseason softball poll and all-conference teams, Wednesday morning.

The Eagles as a team were voted third and senior Megan Powell was named to the preseason All-Conference Team.

Powell was voted the 2024 Big South Conference Newcomer of the Year and a First Team All-Conference selection as she made her impact at the plate and in the circle. Powell batted .240 with 11 runs, four doubles, six home runs and 19 RBI while finishing 9-10 in the circle with a 3.33 ERA and 111 strikeouts.

USC Upstate earned 6-of-7 first-place votes to be the preseason favorite. Following Upstate was Longwood in second, the Eagles third, Gardner-Webb and Charleston Southern tied for fourth, Radford is sixth and Presbyterian College seventh. This is the highest preseason ranking for the Eagles since being voted 3^rd in 2011.

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2025 BIG SOUTH SOFTBALL PRESEASON POLL

Rk - School (first-place votes)	Points
1 - USC Upstate (6)	48
2 - Longwood (1)	37
3 - Winthrop	30
T-4 - Charleston Southern	25
T-4 - Gardner-Webb	25
6 - Radford	18
7 - Presbyterian College	12

Note: points are based on a weighted system, with first-place votes receiving 7 points, followed by 6 points for second-place, and so on. 

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PRESEASON ALL-CONFERENCE TEAM
OF – Denver Lauer, Sr., USC Upstate
OF – Weslin Jones, Sr., Charleston Southern
OF – Taliyah Thomas, Jr., USC Upstate
1B – Sophia Knock, Jr., Longwood
2B – Maddie Lee, Jr., Charleston Southern
3B – Araceli Pesqueira, Gr., Gardner-Webb
SS – Alanna Deal, Sr., USC Upstate
C – Gracie Prince, Sr., Charleston Southern
DP – Carsten Sandvig, Soph., Charleston Southern
UTL – Kasey Wolfe, Soph., Presbyterian
P – Sierra Maness, Soph., USC Upstate
P – Megan Powell, Sr., Winthrop
P – Maggie Chapin, Jr, Longwood
P – Cierra Gawryluk, Soph., Longwood (tie)
P – Morgan Cooper, Soph., Radford (tie)
 
PRESEASON PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Sophia Knock, 1B, Jr., Longwood
 
PRESEASON PITCHER OF THE YEAR
Sierra Maness, Soph., USC Upstate