Tampa Softball Picked Second in SSC Preseason Poll

MELBOURNE, Fla. - Sunshine State Conference coaches select Rollins College as the preseason number one for the second consecutive year, with the University of Tampa garnering second-place accord. With 64 points and eight first-place votes in the poll, the Tars are expected to grab the program's fifth league title since softball became a league sport in 1985.

The University of Tampa slides into second with 55 points and the final first-place vote, followed closely by Saint Leo University with 52 points. Florida Tech follows in fourth place with 40 points, while Palm Beach Atlantic University (35 points) edges out Nova Southeastern (33 points) for fifth place. Florida Southern College (20 points), Barry University (15 points), and Lynn University (10 points) round out this year's preseason ranking.

All SSC teams played over 20 games in 2020 despite COVID-19, with Rollins posting a league-best 21-3 overall record (.875). Saint Leo followed at 23-7 (.767), then Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University at 18-6 (.750). Seven of 11 league programs had winning records when play suddenly adjourned. Rollins (10-2), Embry-Riddle (7-2), Florida Tech (7-2), and Tampa (9-3) all owned winning percentages above .700 in conference play when the season came to an abrupt end.

SSC programs have reached the NCAA Division II finals site 14 times in the conference's history. Saint Leo is the most recent visitor for the league, ending a 10-year hiatus for the conference with their appearance in 2018. Florida Southern claimed the SSC's only softball national championship in 1993 and finished as runner-up in 1987 and 2004. Barry claimed the league's only other runner-up finish in 1998.

The first pitch of the 2021 season is slated for Wednesday, March 3rd, with Palm Beach Atlantic visiting Florida Southern. The composite schedule for 2020-21 can be found here.

Below are the full results of the 2021 SSC preseason coaches' poll. Coaches are not allowed to vote for their teams (points: 8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1, first-place votes in parentheses).

Head coach Leslie Kanter and her Spartans open its 2021 campaign in a four-game series with Rollins on March 5-6. UT will host the Tars in a 4 p.m., doubleheader on Friday, March 5, with the same teams matching up for a 4 p.m., doubleheader in Winter Park, Fla., on Saturday, March 6.