Softball | 1/20/2026 11:47:00 AM

ORLANDO, Fla. –  The Sunshine State Conference (SSC) has released the 2026 Softball Preseason Coaches' Poll and Barry Softball was selected to finish fourth. The poll is voted upon on the leagues 11 coaches.

Barry finished the 2025 season 38-20 going 20-10 in SSC play. That landed them with a fourth place finish in the regular season and a trip to their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2013. The Buccaneers ended up falling in the winner-take-all South I Regional Final to conference foe, Tampa. The Bucs will be looking to build off the momentum set forth by the senior class from last year returning the entire pitching staff and starters Mya Tucker and Sarah Langlie. Nine freshmen added to the mix along with a lone transfer will set the new pace in 2026.

Tampa and Saint Leo were selected to top the conference. They earned 90 points with the Spartans leading the way with five first-place votes. The Lions had four first place votes. Nova Southeastern was voted to finish third with 81 points and a first-place vote. The Buccaneers were right behind with 77 points and the final first-place vote, they move up a spot from last year's preseason poll. Eckerd College leads the middle of the pack in fifth with 64 points, while Rollins College sits sixth with 57 points. Florida Tech is projected seventh with 46 points. Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University is projected to finish in eighth (43), followed by Lynn University (24), Palm Beach Atlantic University (22), and Florida Southern College (11). 

Four teams from the SSC reached the NCAA Tournament last season with Tampa and Saint Leo claimed the top-two seeds in the region and hosted. The Spartans went on to win the Super Regional and make it to the championship series, ultimately falling to UT Tyler.

The first action of the 2026 season is slated for Friday, January 30th for the Buccaneers with a double-header over Alabama-Huntsville at Buccaneer Field.

Below are the full results of the 2026 SSC preseason coaches' poll. Coaches cannot vote for their teams (points: 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1, first-place votes in parentheses).