After advancing to the first NCAA Division II Super Regional in program history, the Minnesota Duluth softball team on Wednesday was slotted fourth in the NSIC preseason coaches poll.
UMD went 44-16 during a record-setting 2018, and while the Bulldogs return six starters and plenty of offensive pop, three All-Americans graduated.
Winona State, which won the conference's regular-season and postseason titles last spring, was picked to finish first. Augustana was second and Minnesota State-Mankato third.
UMD, which will be vying for back-to-back NCAA tournament trips for the first time since 2011-12, opens its campaign with six games Feb. 1-3 at the Arkansas Tech Winter Invitational in Houston.
