TRAFFORD, Pa. (pacathletics.org) - For the first time since returning to the conference in 2022-23, Allegheny College was chosen as the favorite in the Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) Softball Coaches' Preseason Poll, which was released Wednesday morning along with the conference's Players to Watch list.

The Gators and head coach Beth Curtiss, who is entering her 13th year leading the program, claimed the poll's top spot after receiving six first-place votes and 93 points. Allegheny went 15-5 in the PAC last year to earn the second seed for the league tournament. The Gators would go 2-2 in the postseason, finishing with a record of 26-12, the most wins for the program since winning 27 in 2012

Defending PAC champion Westminster placed second in this year's poll, collecting a pair of first-place votes and 88 points. After finishing 15-5 in conference play last year, the Titans earned the top seed in the PAC Tournament for the third consecutive season via tiebreaker. In the Tournament, Westminster reached the title game with two straight wins. Following a loss in the first championship game to Waynesburg University in 11 innings, the Titans used an RBI infield single by shortstop Ava Karpa (Coraopolis, Pa./Moon) in the bottom of the seventh inning to break a scoreless tie and claim a 1-0 walk-off victory in the If Necessary game to win their second PAC crown in program history and first since 2005.

Led by head coach Jan Reddinger, who won her 700th career game during the 2024 season and was named PAC Coach of the Year, Westminster earned its first-ever bid to the NCAA Championships with the conference title. At Regionals, the Titans went 1-2, highlighted by a 2-1 victory over Wisconsin-Stevens Point, to finish with a 26-13 record for the season

Also picking up a first-place vote was Waynesburg University, who totaled 81 points to come in third in the balloting. Fourth place went to Geneva College, who finished with 77 points, while Grove City College was fifth with 63 points, Bethany College totaled 50 points to finish sixth and seventh place went to Washington & Jefferson College (47). Rounding out the poll was Saint Vincent College in eighth (39), Chatham University in ninth (27), Thiel College in 10th (25) and Franciscan University (13).

The Players to Watch List is highlighted by 32 returning All-PAC selections, including 11 First Team players. Among the players featured on the Watch List is Allegheny senior pitcher Aleya Belardinelli, the 2024 PAC Pitcher of the Year. A two-time First Team All-PAC pick and the first Gator hurler to win PAC Pitcher of the Year, she logged 110 innings in the circle and posted a 12-5 record to tie for second in the league in wins. Belardinelli's 124 strikeouts was third in the PAC and ERA of 1.91 placed fourth in the conference. She had nine games with eight or more Ks and teams batted just .217 against during the year.

A three-time PAC Pitcher of the Week during the year, Belardinelli racked up eight of her wins in conference games, as well as 80 strikeouts and a 1.49 ERA.

Belardinelli added National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) NCAA Division III Third Team All-Region VII to her collection of honors following the season, as did her Gator teammate, senior Samantha Phillips. Also a First Team All-PAC selection, the Allegheny outfielder was one of the most consistent hitters in the PAC in 2024. She finished third in the conference with 52 hits and was fourth with a batting average of .413. Of those 52 hits, 11 went for extra bases, including eight doubles, a triple and a home run and Phillips scored 32 runs while driving in 20 more. She had 16 multi-hit games, including five games with three hits

This year's PAC Tournament will feature the top six teams playing in a double-elimination playoff. The PAC Tournament will begin Thursday, May 1st and run through Saturday, May 3rd, with the conference's top seed as the host.

The winner of this year's championship tournament title also earns the league's automatic qualifying bid to the Division III Softball Championship, with teams and regional site selections released on Monday, May 12.

Regional round play is set for Friday-Sunday, May 15-17 and the Super Regionals will be Friday-Saturday, May 22-23. The eight teams advancing from the Super Regionals will play in the Division III Championship finals, scheduled for May 29th through June 4th and hosted by Illinois Wesleyan at Inspiration Field in Bloomington, Ill. 
 

2025 PAC Softball Preseason Coaches' Poll
School (first-place votes)	Points	2024 Records
1. Allegheny (6)	93	26-12, 15-5 PAC
2. Westminster (2)	88	26-13, 15-5 PAC
3. Waynesburg (3)	81	23-18, 10-10 PAC
4. Geneva	77	30-20, 15-5 PAC
5. Grove City	65	25-17, 12-8 PAC
6. Bethany	50	25-14, 11-9 PAC
7. W&J	47	12-18, 9-11 PAC
8. Saint Vincent	39	17-17, 9-11 PAC
9. Chatham	27	10-26, 6-14 PAC
10. Thiel	25	13-23, 8-12 PAC
11. Franciscan	13	1-31, 0-20 PAC

2025 PAC Softball Players to Watch
1 = 2024 First Team All-PAC / 2 = Second Team / HM = Honorable Mention

Allegheny
Name	Yr.	Pos.	Hometown/High School
Aleya Belardinelli (1)	Sr.	P/IF	Melbourne, Fla./West Shore
Olivia Devries (1)	Sr.	3B/C	Kent, Ohio/Field
Sofia Genareo (2)	Sr.	1B	Lakewood, N.Y./Southwestern Central
Madison Hulse (2)	So.	P	San Diego, Calif./Rancho Bernardo
Samantha Phillips (1)	Jr.	OF	Pittsburgh, Pa./Mt. Lebanon

 

Bethany
Name	Yr.	Pos.	Hometown/High School
Destiny Goodnight (2)	Grad.	OF	Youngstown, Ohio/Ursuline
Morgan Huey (2)	Grad.	C	Hermitage, Pa./Hickory
Josie Wise (HM)	Grad.	P	Canton, Ohio/Perry
Katelyn Ziems (HM)	Jr.	P/3B	Bowling Green, Ohio/Bowling Green

 

Chatham
Name	Yr.	Pos.	Hometown/High School
Isabelle Griswold	Sr.	1B/OF	Williamsport, Pa./Williamsport Area
Irene Martin (1)	Jr.	SS/3B	Banning, Calif./Beaumont
Victoria Murren (HM)	Jr.	P/IF	New Oxford, Pa./Bermudian Springs

 

Franciscan
Name	Yr.	Pos.	Hometown/High School
Hayley Cook	Fr.	3B/P	Cincinnati, Ohio/Mercy McAuley
Emma Davis (HM)	So.	2B/P	Tipp City, Ohio/Tippecanoe
Kimberly McDaniels	Sr.	IF/P	Tucson, Ariz./Salpointe Catholic
Abigail Savage	Fr.	IF	Milford, Mich./St. Catherine of Siena Academy

   

Geneva
Name	Yr.	Pos.	Hometown/High School
Julia Hart (1)	Grad.	IF	Prospect, Pa./Slippery Rock
Justine Robbins (2)	Jr.	OF	Fort Myers, Fla./Cypress Lake
Molly Shelley (2)	So.	OF	Baltimore, Md./Sparrows Point
Sophia Tvaroch	Jr.	P	Newton Falls, Ohio/Newton Falls
Lexi Zanic (HM)	Jr.	IF	Beaver Falls, Pa./Beaver Falls

 

Grove City
Name	Yr.	Pos.	Hometown/High School
Brooke Brodie (HM)	Sr.	P	Mogadore, Ohio/Mogadore
Maci Linhart (1)	Sr.	2B	Columbiana, Ohio/Columbiana
Abigail Meadors (1)	So.	P	Warren, Ohio/Champion
Evelyn Montone (1)	So.	OF	Allentown, Pa./Parkland

 

Saint Vincent
Name	Yr.	Pos.	Hometown/High School
Olivia Bushore	Sr.	P	Claysburg, Pa./Claysburg-Kimmel
Mackenzie Favero (2)	So.	SS/2B	Apollo, Pa./Kiski Area
Shayna Perigo (HM)	So.	3B/OF	Pittsburgh, Pa./North Hills

 

Thiel
Name	Yr.	Pos.	Hometown/High School
Alaina Fedder	So.	P/IF	Clearfield, Pa./Clearfield
Dani Ficeti	Sr.	1B	Greenville, Pa./Greenville
Kylie Heid (1)	Jr.	SS	Monaca, Pa./Central Valley
Becca Landis (HM)	Sr.	P/Utl.	Kinsman, Ohio/Mathews
Abby Rottman (HM)	Sr.	3B	Hilliards, Pa./Moniteau

   

W&J
Name	Yr.	Pos.	Hometown/High School
Kyra Blauth (1)	Jr.	OF.	Pittsburgh, Pa./North Hills
Aliya Schraeder (HM)	Sr.	C/OF	McDonald, Pa./South Fayette

 

Waynesburg
Name	Yr.	Pos.	Hometown/High School
Grace Higgins (2)	Sr.	IF	Canonsburg, Pa./Canon-McMillan
Sydney Wilson (1)	Sr.	P/DP	Pentress, W.Va./Clay-Battelle

 

Westminster
Name	Yr.	Pos.	Hometown/High School
Ava Karpa (2)	So.	SS	Coraopolis, Pa./Moon
Grace Kissick	So.	P	Portersville, Pa./Laurel
Sydney Lokay (2)	Sr.	OF	North Huntingdon, Pa./Norwin
Mia Meholick (2)	Sr.	C/3B	DuBois, Pa./DuBois Central Catholic