Contact: Chassidy Holloway, Associate Executive Director, holloway@midwestconference.org
 
GRINNELL, Iowa – The Foresters of Lake Forest College have been selected as the preseason favorite to win the 2023 Midwest Conference (MWC) softball title in a vote by the league’s nine head coaches.
 
The defending champion Foresters collected five first-place votes and 60 points to edge out Illinois College by one point (3 first-place votes and 59 points) in the poll. 
 
Last season, Lake Forest went 15-1 in league play to win its eleventh program regular season crown.
 
The Lady Blues finished second in last season’s regular season standings with a 12-3-1 league record before winning three consecutive games in the MWC Tournament to win its second straight tournament title and make an appearance in the NCAA Tournament.
 
The Grinnell College Pioneers received the remaining first-place vote and 51 points to claim third place, ahead of Monmouth College (42) and Cornell College (38), rounding out the top five.
 
Beloit College landed in sixth with 28 points, followed by Ripon College (23), Lawrence University (12), and Knox College (11).
 
The 2023 season opens this weekend with Lake Forest College and Illinois in non-conference action, while league play begins Saturday, April 1. 
 
The MWC Softball Tournament is scheduled for Friday and Saturday, May 12-13, and will feature the top-four teams as determined by winning percentage in league play. The winner will receive the MWC’s automatic qualifier to the NCAA Division III Softball Tournament.
 
Full preseason results and quick facts for all nine teams can be found below.
 
2023 MWC Softball Preseason Poll Results – Team (first-place votes), points
1. Lake Forest College (5) - 60 points
2. Illinois College (3) - 59 points
3. Grinnell College (1) - 51 points
4. Monmouth College - 42 points
5. Cornell College - 38 points
6. Beloit College - 28 points
7. Ripon College - 23 points
8. Lawrence University - 12 points
9. Knox College - 11 points
 
Beloit College Buccaneers
Head Coach: Kim Zarling (16^th Season)
2022 Season: 12-23 Overall; 7-9 MWC
All-Conference Returnees: N/A
 
Cornell College Rams
Head Coach: Jackie Sernek (6^th Season)
2022 Season: 8-27 Overall; 6-10 MWC
All-Conference Returnees: Miranda Keith (Jr), Erin Puck (Sr)
 
Grinnell College Pioneers
Head Coach: Lexy Determan (2^nd Season)
2022 Season: 20-19 Overall; 12-4 MWC
All-Conference Returnees: Kami Anson (Jr), Samantha Chu (Jr), Taylor Durak (Jr), Amanda Ramirez (Sr)
 
Illinois College Lady Blues
Head Coach: Meghan Roman (11^th Season)
2022 Season: 22-14-1 Overall; 12-3-1 MWC
All-Conference Returnees: Grace Braun (Jr), Annie Schimpf (Sr)
 
Knox College Prairie Fire
Head Coach: Erin Rutledge (9^th Season)
2022 Season: 4-27 Overall; 2-14 MWC
All-Conference Returnees: N/A
 
Lake Forest College Foresters
Head Coach: Joe Kinsella (17^th Season)
2022 Season: 24-15 Overall; 15-1 MWC
All-Conference Returnees: Elena Chrisman (Sr), Kelly Collins (So), Kaylee Purgatorio (So), Hannah Smith (So – 2022 Newcomer of the Year, 2022 Pitcher of the Year)
 
Lawrence University Vikings
Head Coach: Tracy Cromer (3^rd Season)
2022 Season: 4-34 Overall; 2-14 MWC
All-Conference Returnees: N/A
 
Monmouth College Scots
Head Coach: Alexa McClaughry (3^rd Season)
2022 Season: 13-23-1 Overall; 10-5-1 MWC
All-Conference Returnees: MyKenzie Kloess (), Abby Leber (), Calista Warmowski ()
 
Ripon College Red Hawks
Head Coach: Steve Wammer (6^th Season)
2022 Season: 11-27 Overall; 5-1 MWC
All-Conference Returnees: Brennah Bronk (Sr), Abby Gilbertson (Sr), Mikayla Lawrence (Jr)