SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – Defending Summit League Softball Tournament champion Omaha has been tabbed as the preseason favorite for the 2025 regular season crown in the preseason coaches’ poll unveiled Wednesday by League officials.
 
The back-to-back tournament champions received five first-place votes and 35 total points to claim the top spot in the poll. The Mavericks claimed last year's title after defeating top-seeded South Dakota State twice on championship day. The Mavericks forced a winner-take-all game after posting a 7-2 victory in the first matchup and then went on to claim the title with a 5-1 victory in the finale.

Three points behind the Mavericks in the poll were the four-time defending regular season champion Jackrabbits. SDSU held the No. 2 spot with 32 total points and the two remaining first-place votes.
 
South Dakota finished third in the poll with 21 total points while St. Thomas was fourth with 18 total points.
 
Kansas City was picked to finish fifth with 15 total points while North Dakota and North Dakota State rounded out the preseason poll in a tie for sixth with 13 points apiece.
 
2025 Summit League Softball Preseason Coaches' Poll
 

Rank	School	Points (1st)	2024 Record (SL)
1.	Omaha	35 (5)	43-15 (14-4)
2.	South Dakota State	32 (2)	33-22 (14-2)
3.	South Dakota	21	23-30 (7-10)
4.	St. Thomas	18	16-34 (8-9)
5.	Kansas City	15	23-31 (8-10)
t6.	North Dakota	13	14-42 (6-12)
t6.	North Dakota State	13	17-37 (4-14)

 
2025 Summit League Preseason Players to Watch
Note: Players to Watch nominated by league’s head coaches
Maddia Groff, Omaha
So. | Pitcher | Omaha, Neb.

• Was named the MVC Pitcher of the Year, MVC Freshman of the Year, first team All-MVC and NFCA All-American third team
• Ended her freshman campaign with a 30-5 record for the most wins in a single season in Southern Illinois program history
• Posted an impressive ERA of just 1.11 in 220.2 innings
• Struck out 244 batters, good for sixth among Division I pitchers

Maggie O’Brien, Omaha
Sr. | Infielder | Palos Heights, Ill.

• Named to the All-Summit League first team last season
• Notched a team-high .360 batting average and totaled 72 hits on the season
• Collected an 18-game hitting streak from March 20-April 28
• Tallied 81 putouts, 112 assists with only 13 errors for a .937 fielding percentage

Mia Jarecki, South Dakota State
Sr. | Infielder | Papillion, Neb.

• Named 2024 Summit League Player of the Year and NFCA All-Midwest Region First Team Selection
• Started all 55 games at second base
• Hit a team-leading .392 behind 67 hits while collecting seven doubles, four triples and nine home runs last season
• Accumulated 28 RBI, 109 total bases, scored 48 times, stole 11 bases and slugged .637 in 2024

Akayla Barnard, South Dakota State
So. | Pitcher/Utility | Cabot, Ark.

• Appeared in 35 games with 32 starts and 12 showings in the circle
• Posted a 5-2 record and struck out 27 in 33 2/3 innings with a 4.16 ERA
• Batted .253 with 24 hits, including three doubles, four triples, and a home run

Clara Edwards, South Dakota
Sr. | Pitcher | Clay Center, Kan.

• Earned All-Summit League honorable mention honors last season
• Made 28 starts and 29 appearances, compiling an 8-13 record and 2.76 ERA
• Tossed five complete game shutouts
• Led the team in walks (16) and ranked second in home runs (4)

Tatum Villotta, South Dakota
Sr. | Infielder | Blair, Neb.

• Named to the 2024 All-Summit League second team
• One of three players to start all 53 games, making 37 starts at second base and 16 at shortstop
• Had a team-high 54 hits and 23 runs scored while batting either first or second in the lineup
• Recorded a team-best 10-game hitting streak during the season

Christina Crawford, St. Thomas
Sr. | Pitcher | Elkhorn, Wis.

• Played in 36 games and started in 29
• Tallied 11 hits including two doubles and three home runs for 22 total bases, all career-highs
• Earned a 7-17 record with 21 starts in the circle, striking out 68 batters and walking 40

Avery Wukawitz, St. Thomas
Jr | Outfielder | Woodbury, Minn.

• Played and started in 40 games with a .304/.392/.568 in 125 at-bats
• Recorded a career-high 10 doubles, one triple, and seven home runs
• Finished the season in the top 15 in the league in nine statistical categories
• Stole 14 bases on 15 attempts and had a .926 fielding percentage in center field

Maddy Duvall, Kansas City
Fr. | Pitcher/Utility | Blue Springs, Mo.

• First year at Kansas City
• 2022 First Team All-State, 2021 Second Team All-State, Academic All-State

Briona Woods, Kansas City
Sr. | Outfield | Clearwater, Kan.

• Made 47 starts with a .288 batting average and ranked first on the team and sixth in the league with 12 doubles
• Ranked second on the team in RBI (25), home runs (three), and tied for second in multi-hit games (10)
• Had a .974 fielding percentage with 72 putouts and four assists

Kaitlyn Dunford, North Dakota State
So. | Pitcher | La Crescenta, Calif.

• Named 2024 Easton and NFCA All-America Scholar-Athlete
• Made 22 appearances with nine starts in the circle, posting a 6-5 record over 69.1 innings of work
• Led Bison with six wins and a 3.63 ERA during freshman season and added three complete games

Jackie Albrecht, North Dakota
Sr. | Pitcher | Barrington, Ill.

• Threw 15 complete games, earned seven wins with three complete game shutouts, and finished with an ERA of 2.93 (1.93 in the Summit League)
• Ranks seventh in program history with 317 strikeouts entering the season
• Finished the season ranked fourth in the Summit League for strikeouts (131)

Angie Dumlao, North Dakota
Sr. | Infielder | Downey, Calif.

• Earned All-Summit League honorable mention honors
• Played 45 games with 43 starts, leading the team with a .288 batting average as she racked up 36 hits, tied for second on the team
• Paced the team with a .646 on-base plus slugging and was one of five Fighting Hawks with 40 or more total bases
• Was tied for fourth on the team in RBI (12) and doubles (four)