CARMEL, Ind - The Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference (HCAC) has announced the results of its softball preseason coaches' poll, with the reigning HCAC Champion Transylvania Pioneers predicted, in a vote amongst league coaches, to repeat as HCAC Champions in 2026.
Just like they finished last year, the Mount St. Joseph Lions are predicted to finish in second place. Franklin, Earlham and Manchester round out the predicted top five finishers.
Looking at the returning talent to Transylvania's lineup, it is easy to understand why the Pios received the maximum allotment of first place votes among the other coaches. 2025 HCAC Softball Coach of the Year
Shawn Hendrickson has last year's Pitcher of the Year,
Raegan Gibson (Louisville, Ky.) returning for her senior season with her senior classmate and fellow First Team All-HCAC pitcher,
Trinity Bridges (Lexington, Ky.) also returning to assist on the mound. In addition to Gibson and Bridges, the Pios also feature a pair of other returning All-Conference First Team players.
Following the upcoming regular season, the 2026 HCAC Softball Championship is scheduled to take place Thursday-Sunday, May 7-10 in Kokomo, Ind. The top six teams at the end of the regular season will qualify for the double-elimination tournament with the winner earning the league's automatic qualifier into the 2026 NCAA Division III Softball Championship.
2026 HCAC Softball Preseason Coaches' Poll Results
| 1 |
Transylvania |
81 (9) |
| 2 |
Mount St. Joseph |
70 |
| 3 |
Franklin |
62 (1) |
| 4 |
Earlham |
60 |
| 5 |
Manchester |
49 |
| 6 |
Rose-Hulman |
44 |
| 7 |
Hanover |
31 |
| 8 |
Anderson |
26 |
| 9 |
Bluffton |
18 |
| 10 |
Berea |
9 |
Transylvania Pioneers (Lexington, Ky.)
Predicted 2026 HCAC Finish = First Place with 81 poll points and nine first place votes.
Head Coach =
Shawn Hendrickson
2025 Results = 33-7 Overall, 14-2 HCAC, Regular Season and Tournament Champions
Returning HCAC All-Conference Players = 5
- (1st Team) Trinity Bridges, Senior Pitcher, Louisville, Ky.
- (1st Team) Raegan Gibson, Senior Pitcher, Lexington, Ky. (2025 HCAC Pitcher of the Year)
- (1st Team) Ella Steczynski, Junior Shortstop, Edgewood, Ky.
- (1st Team) Emilie Young, Sophomore Catcher, Independence, Ky. (2025 HCAC Newcomer of the Year)
- (2nd Team) Avery Parsons, Junior Second Base, Walton, Ky.
Other Players to Watch in 2026 =
