ST. LOUIS, Mo. – It's almost time for softball teams across the country to return to the diamond for the upcoming 2025 season and the Missouri Valley Conference has released its Preseason Poll and All-Conference Team, the league announced Tuesday afternoon.
 
Drake was selected seventh in the preseason poll under direction of head coach Lindsay Diehl, who will begin her second season at the helm of the Bulldog program. Southern Illinois was slated to finish first receiving four first place votes and 129 total votes. Belmont and UNI rounded out the top three. The entire preseason poll is listed below.
 
The Bulldogs did not have a player selected to the preseason all-conference squad. Drake returns 10 players from last season, including utility player Emma Dighton and pitcher Molly Hoekstra. Dighton led the Bulldogs in hitting last season with a batting average of .344, ranked second in homers with five, and third in RBI with 24. In the circle Dighton tallied 22 strikeouts and an ERA of 6.34. Hoekstra was the top arm for the Bulldogs a season ago leading the team in wins (13), ERA (3.02), and strikeouts (78).
 
The Bulldogs are set to begin their 2025 season at the UNI Doc Halverson Dome Tournament, Feb. 8-9. Drake is scheduled to play four games in two days taking on the likes of Omaha, North Dakota, and Loyola Chicago while in Cedar Falls.
 
Preseason Poll: 

1. Southern Illinois 129 (4)
2. Belmont 125 (3)
3. UNI 121 (4)
4. Illinois State 115 
5. Bradley 101
6. Missouri State 72
7. Drake 70
8. Murray State 58
9. UIC 53 (1)
10. Evansville 44
11. Indiana State 35
12. Valparaiso 13