Softball | 2/13/2026 2:30:00 PM
Steubenville, Ohio - The Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) released their Preseason Coaches' Poll for Softball on Friday. Franciscan returns a talented core, and they have several new faces that look to make an immediate impact in 2026.
| 2026 PAC Softball Preseason Coaches' Poll |
| School (first-place votes) |
Points |
2025 Records |
| 1. Westminster (9) |
117 |
28-13, 14-6 PAC |
| 2. Geneva (2) |
108 |
31-15, 13-7 PAC |
| 3. Grove City |
102 |
26-13, 15-5 PAC |
| 4. Allegheny (1) |
93 |
23-16, 13-7 PAC |
| 5. Waynesburg |
70 |
23-16, 9-11 PAC |
| 6. Bethany |
69 |
26-13-1, 12-8 PAC |
| 7. Hiram |
58 |
21-17, 9-5 NCAC |
| 8. W&J |
51 |
13-18, 8-12 PAC |
| 9. Saint Vincent |
43 |
21-17, 9-11 PAC |
| 10. Thiel |
41 |
18-18, 10-10 PAC |
| 11. Chatham |
28 |
14-26, 6-14 PAC |
| 12. Franciscan |
12 |
4-26, 1-19 PAC |
Players to Watch
Franciscan had five players listed as Players to Watch for the upcoming season.
Janey Winner (So. Lovettsville, Va. / Homeschool) returns after being named Honorable Mention All-PAC as a freshman. She batted .341 with an OPS of .900, while playing and starting in 28 games. Nine of her 28 hits went for extra bases, including a team-high four triples. She led the team in steals, by swiping 10 bags on 13 attempts.
Elizabeth Maxwell (Sr. Roswell, Ga. / Seton Home Study) batted .368 while starting in every game last season. She was tied for the lead on the team with 28 hits and held an .803 OPS. She will be one of several seniors that look to end their collegiate careers with their best season to date.
Abigail Savage (So. Milford, Mich. / St. Catherine of Siena Academy) started in 24 games last season . She had 11 seasons and drew 10 walks while playing shortstop. She looks to be a major contributor offensively and defensively up the middle for the Barons in 2026.
Elizabeth Forster (So. Vancouver, Wash. / Seton Catholic College Preparatory) and
Lorelei Smaciarz (So. Raymond, Wash. / Willapa Valley) are a pair of new faces that made this list. They are sophomores academically, but this will be their first collegiate season athletically.
New Faces
Coach
Daniella Pillar has brought in several new players, including Forster and Smaciarz that will make an impact on the field in 2026.
Janele Winner,
Stormy Gail, and
Cadence Moorman round out an exciting recruiting class that will make some noise this season and in the future.
The Favorites
Westminster earned nine of the first-place votes to sit atop the poll, as they were picked to repeat as PAC Champions. They return a pair of First Team All-PAC players, but did lose some talent to graduation. Geneva earned two first-place votes to sit in second, and Allegheny earned one first-place vote and picked to finish fourth.
Up Next
The Barons are scheduled to open the 2025 season at home on February 27th. They will host La Roche for a non-conference doubleheader starting at 2:00 p.m. This will be the first home game played at the Softball Field in the month of February in program history. The Redhawks swept the Barons last season in a doubleheader at their place, but prior to that The Barons had won six consecutive matchups.
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