Contact: Jenna McElroy, Sports Info & Social Media Intern, mcelroy@midwestconference.org
 
GRINNELL, Iowa – Lake Forest College, the Midwest Conference (MWC) softball champions four of the last five years, is the favorite once again. The Foresters received eight first-place votes for 80 points to top the annual preseason coaches’ poll.
 
Illinois College has qualified for the MWC Tournament the past three seasons and came in second in the poll. The Lady Blues picked up 69 points and garnered one first-place vote to edge Cornell College’s 68 points. The Rams enter the 2019 season off the first NCAA Tournament win in program history. Cornell won the 2018 MWC Tournament as the fourth seed and received one first-place vote in this year’s preseason poll.
 
Grinnell College completes the top four with 57 points followed by Ripon College in fifth with 47. Monmouth College received 40 points for sixth with St. Norbert College only three points back in seventh with 37. Lawrence University was eighth with 26 points and rounding out the poll Beloit College and Knox College tied for ninth with 13 points.
 
The season starts with teams playing some dome ball and escaping the cold of the Midwest by heading to Florida for spring break. Below is a team-by-team preview of all nine MWC baseball programs.
 
Full Poll Results

1. Lake Forest	80 (8)
2. Illinois College	69 (1)
3. Cornell	68 (1)
4. Grinnell	57
5. Ripon	47
6. Monmouth	40
7. St. Norbert	37
8. Lawrence	26
T9. Beloit	13
T9. Knox	13

 
Beloit College Buccaneers
Head Coach: Kim Zarling (12th season) 93-287, 43-105 MWC
2018:5-33, 2-16 MWC
Projected 2019 MWC Finish: 9th
Returning Starters: 6
 
The 2019 Beloit Buccaneers will be led by Ashley Lambert who hit .339 with a team-high four home runs and 23 RBI last year. Also returning is pitcher/outfielder Alyssa Boltik who led the team with 18 runs scored and was 8-for-9 in stolen base attempts in 2018. On the mound, Boltik pitched 12 complete games with 68 strikeouts. The Bucs also have Emily Stapay back in the lineup after she was one of the league leaders in walks with 18.
 
Cornell College Rams
Head Coach: Jackie Sernek (2nd season) 27-21, 10-8 MWC
2018: 27-21, 10-8 MWC
Projected 2019 MWC Finish: 3rd
Returning Starters: 6
Returning Pitchers: 2
Returning All-MWC: Second Team - Haley Harmon, Cailynn Wichman
 
The Rams are coming off a successful first season for head coach Jackie Sernek as they advanced to the second NCAA Regional in program history where they recorded their first-ever NCAA win. Ace pitcher Haley Harmon returns after winning a league-best 18 games with the second most strikeouts at 114. Harmon posted a 2.14 earned run average and helped Cornell win the MWC Tournament with three shutouts, including a perfect game. Cailynn Wichman also returns after earning All-MWC honors as a freshman. Wichman set school records for at-bats (162) and hits (64) in a season while batting .395 and scoring 40 runs. She also hit eight doubles and seven triples for a .549 slugging percentage.
 
Grinnell College Pioneers
Head Coach: Lynn Anderson (1st season)
2018: 24-14, 12-6 MWC
Projected 2019 MWC Finish: 4th
Returning Starters: 7
Returning All-MWC: First Team – Mya Davis, Darice Wheeler, Flynn Johnson; Second Team - Leila Bishop-Parise
 
Grinnell made its first MWC Tournament since 2006 behind Darice Wheeler, the first-ever Pioneer to earn All-America honors. Wheeler was also named MWC Player and Newcomer of the Year after setting school records within nation-leading 1.093 slugging percentage and 1.66 runs batted in per game. She hit .500 with 18 home runs and 49 runs scored while also going 11-5 with 80 strikeouts on the mound. The Pioneer lineup will feature three other All-MWC performers in Mya Davis, Flynn Johnson, and Leila Bishop-Parise. Johnson hit .381 with a .575 slugging percentage while Bishop-Parise scored 35 runs and had a team-high four triples.
 
Illinois College Lady Blues
Head Coach: Meghan Roman (7th season) 117-95, 60-35 MWC
2018: 26-12, 15-3 MWC
Projected 2019 MWC Finish: 2nd
Returning Starters: 5
Returning All-MWC: First Team - Savanna Brady, Jackie Reilly
 
Illinois College is playing for its fourth straight appearance in the MWC Tournament this spring. The lineup will feature to All-MWC players in Jackie Reilly and Savanna Brady. Reilly led the team with a .413 batting average and .540 slugging percentage while recording 52 hits, including six doubles and scoring 33 runs. Brady hit .315 with six doubles, two home runs, and 21 RBI. Jess Feig will lead the pitching staff after posting at 2.54 ERA with eight wins and 47 strikeouts in 96.1 innings.
 
Knox College Prairie Fire
Head Coach: Erin Rutledge (5th season) 9-122, 5-68 MWC
2018: 5-33, 2-16 MWC
Projected 2019 MWC Finish: 9^th
 
The Prairie Fire lineup is headlined by utility player Katy Coseglia who led the team with a .342 batting average and .592 slugging percentage last season. Coseglia also had team-highs of 41 hits, nine doubles, six triples, three home runs, and 28 RBI. Pitcher Tegan Doherty is back after leading the team with nine wins, including three shutouts, and 70 strikeouts.
 
Lake Forest College Foresters
Head Coach: Joe Kinsella (13th season) 274-180-1, 138-24 MWC
2018: 29-13, 17-1 MWC
Projected 2019 MWC Finish: 1st
Returning Starters: 6
Returning Pitchers: 4
Returning All-MWC: First Team – Missy Dieckman-Meyer, Maria Zepeda, Sydney Wyatt; Second Team – Hannah Kalnicky, Shaye Gauthier, Riley Frisbie
 
The Foresters have won four of the past five MWC regular-season championships but have not advanced to the NCAA Tournament since 2016. Lake Forest look to make it back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances led by six All-MWC returners.Centerfielder Maria Zepeda recorded a .376 batting average, .538 on base percentage, and .615 slugging percentage as she had a team-high 44 hits, 43 runs scored, 13 doubles, 28 walks, and 27 RBI. She will be joined by infielder Hannah Kalnicky who had a team-best seven home runs. All-Conference pitcher Missy Dieckman-Meyer returns after going 12-5 with a 1.69 ERA and 100 strikeouts in 116 innings.
 
Lawrence University Vikings
Head Coach: Kim Tatro (25th season) 409-380-3, 160-143-1 MWC
2018: 11-23, 5-13 MWC
Projected 2019 MWC Finish: 8th
Returning All-MWC: First Team – Ceara Larson, Amanda Karnatz
 
The Vikings return two All-MWC players as they look to move up the standings in 2019. The duo of Ceara Larson and Amanda Karnatz ranked second and third in the conference in hitting. Larson batted .439, got on base at a .500 clip and slugged .729. The catcher finished the season with 47 hits including ten doubles and five home runs and knocked in 25 runs. Karnatz wasn’t far behind with a .422 batting average and .492 on-base percentage. The outfielder had 49 hits, including seven doubles, scored 32 runs and stole 21 bases in 24 attempts.
 
Monmouth College Fighting Scots
Head Coach: John Goddard (12th season) 198-192, 94-56 MWC
2018: 20-16, 9-9 MWC
Projected 2019 MWC Finish: 6th
Returners: 14
Returning All-MWC: Second Team – Darcy Kepner, Laura Dulee
 
Monmouth finished one win shy of the MWC Tournament last season but return two All-MWC players in Darcy Kepner and Laura Dulee. Kepner hit .407 and got on base at a .478 clip. Dulee finished with a .364 batting average and a team-high 28 hits and 14 RBI. The Scots’ top returning pitcher is sophomore Cassidy Abbott. Abbott recorded a 2.20 ERA, 22 strikeouts, and two shutouts in 57.1 innings in her first year.
 
Ripon College Red Hawks
Head Coach: Steve Wammer (2nd season) 16-20, 10-8 MWC
2018: 16-20, 10-8 MWC
Projected 2019 MWC Finish: 5th
Returning Starters: 6
Returning Pitchers: 3
Returning All-MWC: First Team – Lexi Reetz; Second Team – Micaela Encarnacion
 
Ripon’s 2018 conference record of 10-8 matched Cornell’s for fourth in the league standings, but the Rams won the tiebreaker to keep the Red Hawks out of the MWC Tournament. The Red Hawks hope to return to the tournament for the first time since 2010 as six starters and three pitchers return, including All-MWC performers Lexi Reetz and Micaela Encarnacion. Reetz is back as the team’s ace pitcher after winning 13 games with a 2.14 ERA and 115 strikeouts in 131 innings last year. Encarnacion will lead the lineup after hitting .393 with 48 hits and 27 runs scored. The outfielder was also 9-for-10 in stolen base attempts.
 
St. Norbert College Green Knights
Head Coach: Jo Ann Krueger (22nd season) 363-355-1, 165-97 MWC
2018: 11-21, 7-11 MWC
Projected 2019 MWC Finish: 7th
Returning Starters: 5
Returning Pitchers: 2
Returning All-MWC: Second Team – Brianna Braeger
 
St. Norbert had a bit of a down season last year after winning the MWC in 2017. The Green Knights look to bounce back in 2019 led by All-MWC performer Brianna Braeger. The outfielder led the team with a .333 batting average, 38 hits including four triples, and 16 runs scored. St. Norbert’s top returning pitcher is Emma Molehouse who earned five wins and had 36 strikeouts in 90.1 innings last season.