The Midwest Conference released its 2023 Softball Preseason Coaches Poll on Wednesday and defending league champion Lake Forest College was atop the rankings.
Voting is done by the MWC head softball coaches. Each coach votes for the other eight schools in the league in order of predicted finish. Points are assigned in reverse order of voting (eight points for first, seven for second, etc.). Coaches may not vote for their own teams.
The Foresters received five of the nine first-place votes and finished with 60 points. Illinois College was second in the poll, just one point behind Lake Forest, and garnered three first-place votes. The other top selection went to third-place Grinnell College, which tallied 51 points. Monmouth College rounded out the top four with 42.
Lake Forest went 24-15 overall and captured the program's sixth league title in the last nine years with a 15-1 mark in conference play. Seven players on the team earned All-MWC honors, including current sophomore Hannah Smith, who was also named MWC Pitcher of the Year and Newcomer of the Year. Senior outfielder Elena Chrisman and sophomore infielders Kelly Collins and Kaylee Purgatorio were also listed among the league's bast a year ago.
Joe Kinsella's 17th season as Lake Forest's head coach will officially open on Saturday with a single game against Concordia University Chicago indoors at The Dome at the Parkway Bank Sports Complex. The team will play two more indoor games before traveling to Florida for 10 contests over Spring Break. The Foresters' home opener is scheduled for March 21 against Carthage College and they will welcome Knox College to Mohr Field for the first MWC doubleheader of the year on April 7. The regular season finale is on May 7 and the top four teams in the conference will qualify for the MWC Tournament, which will be hosted by the league champion May 12-13.
Lake Forest has qualified for every MWC Tournament since 2000, hosted the event in 11 of those seasons, and won it nine times.
| PLACE | TEAM (First Place Votes) | POINTS |
| 1 | Lake Forest College (5) | 61 |
| 2 | Illinois College (3) | 60 |
| 3 | Grinnell College (1) | 51 |
| 4 | Monmouth College | 42 |
| 5 | Cornell College | 38 |
| 6 | Beloit College | 28 |
| 7 | Ripon College | 23 |
| 8 | Lawrence University | 12 |
| 9 | Knox College | 11 |
