CLEVELAND, OH – The North Coast Athletic Conference softball coaches have selected DePauw as the 2024 favorite based on voting for the annual preseason poll.
The Tigers, who are the four-time defending NCAC champions, and the Hiram Terriers, who are the two-time defending NCAC tournament champions, each earned four of the eight possible first-place votes, with DePauw (46) edging out Hiram (45) by one point. The Denison Big Red, who share a league-leading eight titles with DePauw, was slotted third with 38 points. Wooster claimed fourth with 28 points, while Ohio Wesleyan (24) and Wittenberg (22) were separated by two points for the fifth and sixth spots. Oberlin (14) and Kenyon (7) rounded out the poll in seventh and eighth, respectively.
DePauw returns three all-conference selections that helped lead the Tigers to a 23-21 overall record and a 12-2 mark in league play to claim the NCAC title for the eighth time in program history. Junior infielder
Katie Mathies (Shelbyville, IN/Shelbyville), a 2023 All-NCAC first-team selection, returns to the field after posting a successful sophomore campaign. Last season, Mathies ranked first in the conference in homeruns (8), RBI (36), and slugging percentage (.713) and was second in doubles (14) and OPS (1.144). Additionally, Mathies landed inside the league’s top eight in batting average (.383), OBP (.431) and hits (44). Defensively, the infielder tallied 119 putouts, 48 assists, and a .949 fielding percentage in her 41 appearances. Two second-team all-conference selections also return to the field for the Tigers, senior infielder
Alyssa Anderson (Westlake Village, CA/Agoura) and senior catcher
Kelsey Bernhard (Downers Grove, IL/Downers Grove North). Anderson appeared in 33 games and helped propel DePauw offensively as she recorded 24 hits, 18 RBI, two doubles, one triple, and one homerun while hitting .286. Additionally, Anderson led the Tigers with 51 assists and was a part of a team-high six double plays last season. From behind the plate, Bernhard recorded a .993 fielding percentage on 149 chances while only committing one error. Offensively, Bernhard posted a .333 batting average, while recording 28 hits, 11 RBI, and seven doubles.
The 2024 season begins on Saturday, February 24th, while the first league games are slated for Saturday, April 6th. The NCAC Tournament will be held Thursday-Saturday, May 9-11, at the top seed.
2024 North Coast Athletic Conference
Softball Preseason Coaches' Poll
(first-place votes in parentheses, followed by total points) |
| WOMEN |
| 1. |
DePauw (4) |
46 |
| 2. |
Hiram (4) |
45 |
| 3. |
Denison |
38 |
| 4. |
Wooster |
28 |
| 5. |
Ohio Wesleyan |
24 |
| 6. |
Wittenberg |
22 |
| 7. |
Oberlin |
14 |
| 8. |
Kenyon |
7 |