ROLLA, Mo. – The Great Lakes Valley Conference released its pre-season poll for the upcoming 2023 softball season Tuesday and the league coaches placed Missouri S&T at ninth among the 13 teams in the poll.

The Miners, who just missed out on a spot in the GLVC Tournament a year ago and has most of that squad back for the 2023 campaign under new head coach Bryan Howard, finished 24-26 overall and 12-16 in the GLVC last year.  S&T was in contention for a spot in the conference tournament all the way to the final day of the 2022 season and will look to land a spot in the top eight to play in East Peoria, Ill., during the first weekend in May.

Southern Indiana won the 2022 GLVC championship, but has since reclassified to play at the NCAA Division I level.  The team the Screaming Eagles beat to win the title, Indianapolis, was a unanimous selection to take this year's championship as the Greyhounds received all 12 first place votes they were able to get.  The second place selection in the poll, Drury, received the remaining first place vote as coaches could not vote for their own teams.

After the Greyhounds and Panthers, Missouri-St. Louis was picked to finish in third and Illinois Springfield was tabbed for the fourth spot.  Maryville, Rockhurst, McKendree and Lewis claimed the next four spots in the rankings ahead of S&T, who had a record of 7-3 a year ago against the teams ranked between fourth and eighth in the pre-season poll.

The 2023 season will get underway for Missouri S&T on Feb. 17 when the Miners face Findlay and Trevecca Nazarene at the Music City Invitational in Nashville, Tenn.  S&T will play six games at that event, six more at the Blue Bridge Battle in Owensboro, Ky., the following weekend and five additional games at the MIAA-GLVC Crossover in Joplin, Mo., during the first weekend of March before opening its home schedule March 8 against 13^th-ranked Augustana.

The Miners' first GLVC game is scheduled for March 18 when they host Truman State at the S&T Softball Field.

2023 Great Lakes Valley Conference Pre-Season Softball Poll
1. Indianapolis, 144 points (12 first place votes)
2. Drury, 133 points (1 first place vote)
3. Missouri-St. Louis, 117 points
4. Illinois Springfield, 108 points
5. Maryville, 91 points
6. Rockhurst, 87 points
7. McKendree, 85 points
8. Lewis, 65 points
9. Missouri S&T, 52 points
10. Quincy, 46 points
11. William Jewell, 43 points
12. Truman State, 31 points
13. Southwest Baptist, 12 points