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Dominican University New York Athletics
CACC RELEASES 2026 SOFTBALL PRESEASON COACHES POLL
January 28, 2026

CACC RELEASES 2026 SOFTBALL PRESEASON COACHES POLL

Courtesy of CACC Athletics

New Haven, Conn. (1/28/26) Wilmington University has been predicted to finish in first place in the 2026 Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference softball standings, according to the results of the sport's CACC Preseason Coaches Poll released today by Commissioner Dan Mara.

Wilmington (36-19, 17-5 CACC in 2025) won its third consecutive CACC championship last season. The Wildcats then advanced to the NCAA Division II East Super-Regional Championship series for the fourth straight season. Wilmington is ranked No. 21 in the 2026 national preseason D-II coaches' poll.

The Wildcats received 8 of 10 first-place votes in the CACC poll and 80 total points. The University of Bridgeport (33-16, 19-3), the 2025 CACC regular-season champion and an NCAA Tournament participant, was chosen for second place with 66 points. Thomas Jefferson University collected a first-place vote and was picked for third place with 59 points, followed by the 56 points of fourth-place Holy Family University.

The next four positions in the poll went to, respectively, Caldwell University (5th, 52 points), Goldey-Beacom College (6th, 49), Felician University (7th, 36) and Dominican University New York (8th, 22). Goldey-Beacom, which reached the 2025 NCAA Tournament, also received the final first-place vote. Chestnut Hill College was slotted into the ninth position with 17 points, followed by Post University (13).

The regular season begins during the weekend of February 6-8 with three teams scheduled to compete. All 10 CACC teams will have started their 2026 campaign by March 6, with conference action slated to commence on Saturday, March 21.

At season's end, the top eight teams in the standings will qualify for the CACC Championship tournament. Four opening round, best-of-three series will be held on May 2-3 at campus sites. The four-team double-elimination segment will follow on May 7-9. The CACC champion will automatically qualify for the 2026 NCAA Division II East Region Championship.

 

2026 CACC SOFTBALL PRESEASON COACHES POLL

(First Place Votes in Parentheses)
Rank Team Points
1. Wilmington University (8) 80
2. University of Bridgeport  66
3. Thomas Jefferson University (1) 59
4. Holy Family University 56
5. Caldwell University 52
6. Goldey-Beacom College (1) 49
7. Felician University 36
8. Dominican University New York 22
9. Chestnut Hill College 17
10. Post University 13

The aim of Dominican University New York is to promote educational excellence, leadership, and service in an environment characterized by respect for the individual and concern for the community and its needs. Founded by the Dominican Sisters of Blauvelt, the university is an independent institution of higher learning, Catholic in origin and heritage. In the Dominican tradition, it fosters the active, shared pursuit of truth and embodies an ideal of education rooted in the values of reflective understanding and compassionate involvement.  Committed to building its programs upon a strong foundation in the liberal arts and sciences, the university maintains a student-centered climate and serves a diverse community of students in undergraduate and graduate programs. The university empowers this community of learners to excel, lead and serve with integrity and to engage responsibly in the pursuit of a more just, ethical and sustainable world.  Dominican also sponsors 18 varsity intercollegiate sports that compete at the NCAA Division II level.  To learn more about Dominican University New York, please visit www.duny.edu.