Contact: Lou Groce, Director of Media and Information, 920-229-8157

GRINNELL, Iowa –St. Norbert College and Lake Forest College have been picked to repeat as division champions for the fourth consecutive season in the 2015 Midwest Conference Preseason Softball Coaches’ Poll. 

Lake Forest won the 2014 Midwest Conference Tournament and advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2006, where they went 2-2 in the Illinois Wesleyan University Regional.  The Foresters received the maximum number of first place votes (5) on their way to 25 points.   Cornell College is picked to finish second in the south division with 20 points, and Monmouth College checks in third with 18 points.  Illinois College has been selected to improve to fourth in 2015 (12 points), while Knox College (10 points) and Grinnell College (5 points) round out the south. 

The Green Knights received the maximum number of first place votes (4) and finished with a total of 16 points.  It will be a tight race in the North Division as Carroll University and Lawrence University are tied for second place with 10 points.  Ripon College has been selected fourth (7 points), with Beloit College finishing just behind them in fifth (6 points). 

The 2015 season gets underway on Saturday, Feb. 28 when Carroll heads to the Finlandia University Dome Tournament.  The softball season preview will be released on Thursday, Feb. 26.