Foresters Picked by Coaches to Defend MWC Title

The Midwest Conference released its 2020 Softball Preseason Coaches Poll and season preview on Wednesday and Lake Forest College was atop the list.

Voting for the league's preseason poll is done by the MWC head softball coaches. Each coach votes for the other 10 schools in the conference in order of predicted finish. Points are assigned in reverse order of voting (10 points for first, nine for second, etc.). Coaches may not vote for their own teams. The Foresters were listed first on eight of 10 ballots and received 80 of a possible 81 points.

The first-place team in the regular season standings will earn the conference title and the right to host the four-team MWC Tournament, which will be played May 1-2. The tournament champion will receive the league's automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Tournament, which will begin on May 7.

Lake Forest is looking for its third straight conference title, its sixth in the last seven years, and 12th in program history, more than any other active member of the league. The team returns a dozen letter winners and five players who have earned all-conference honors in at least one of the last two seasons, including 2019 First Team All-MWC selection Riley Frisbie and Second Team honoree Shaye Gauthier.

The Foresters posted a 26-17 overall record last season, came out on top in 14 of 18 conference contests, won the MWC Tournament, and reached the final of the NCAA Division III Regional Tournament in Pella, Iowa.

Under the direction of 14th-year head coach Joe Kinsella, Lake Forest will open the season indoors March 5-7 with six games at The Dome at the Parkway Bank Sports Complex in Rosemont, Illinois. The Foresters will also compete in The Spring Games near Orlando, Florida, from March 10-14 before starting MWC play at St. Norbert College on March 28. The final doubleheader of the regular season is scheduled for Saturday, April 25, at Monmouth College.

Complete Midwest Conference Release