Doane totaled 121 points and is the preseason coaches’ selections to win the 2016 Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) Softball Championship.

The Tigers tallied 11 first place votes. Northwestern garnered the remaining first place vote and was picked to finish fourth with 91 points.

Doane posted a 34-13 record last spring while posting a 17-3 record in the GPAC en route to the regular season title. Concordia, the GPAC tournament champion last year, is picked fifth with 87 points.  Hastings was tabbed second by the coaches with 98 points while Morningside was picked third.
The GPAC softball season will consist of  22 games (11 doubleheaders) and conclude with the GPAC Postseason Tournament featuring two four-team tournaments (Seeds 1,4,5,8 and Seeds 2,3,6,7) (double elimination) on May 4-5 at the sites of the top two seeds. Then the two tournament winners will play on Saturday, May, 7, in the GPAC Championship (three game series) at the highest remaining seed.

 

Points were awarded on an 11-1 basis and coaches’ could not vote for their own team.

 

Here is the complete 2016 GPAC Softball Preseason Coaches’ Poll:

Place – Team – Total Points (1st Place Votes)
1. Doane – 121 (11)
2. Hastings – 98
3. Morningside – 93
4. Northwestern – 91 (1)
5. Concordia – 87
6. Midland – 79
7. Nebraska Wesleyan – 53
8. Dordt – 44
9. College of Saint Mary – 40
10. Briar Cliff – 38
11. Dakota Wesleyan – 32
12. Mount Marty – 16