INDIANAPOLIS, IN - On Thursday afternoon, the Great Midwest Athletic Conference (G-MAC) released the 2025-26 softball coaches' preseason poll, with the Ohio Dominican Panthers landing in fourth place among the league's 13 teams.

Tiffin University claimed the top spot in the preseason poll, receiving 11 first-place votes and 156 total points. Findlay followed in second with 137 points and one first-place vote, narrowly edging out defending champion Hillsdale, which took third with 133 points and the final first-place vote.

The middle of the pack saw a tight race: Ohio Dominican finished fourth with 122 points, followed closely by Northwood in fifth with 119, Ashland in sixth with 103, and Cedarville in seventh with 94. Malone (76), Walsh (64), and Thomas More (63) rounded out the top ten. The final three spots were held by Ursuline in 11th with 50 points, Kentucky Wesleyan in 12th with 39, and Lake Erie in 13th with 27.

Coming off a strong run as the fifth seed in last year's G-MAC tournament—which ended in the consolation final against Tiffin—the Panthers enter the spring season with a deep roster. Head coach Marcella Vanlandingham, now in her 31st year, returns 14 players, including four seniors, four juniors, and six sophomores.

The veteran squad is bolstered by seven incoming freshmen and two new additions to the coaching staff. McKenzie Bump, a former player at Ohio State and Kentucky, joins as an assistant coach, while Madison Kennedy, a former Mount St. Joseph player, joins the staff as a graduate assistant.

The Panthers kick off their season next weekend with two weeks of play in Tennessee. They open in Harrogate against Wilmington and Lincoln Memorial (two games each) before traveling to Chattanooga the following weekend for four non-conference matchups.

2026 Softball Coaches Preseason Poll 

1. Tiffin (11)- 156

2. Findlay (1)- 137

3. Hillsdale (1)-133

4. Ohio Dominican- 122

5. Northwood- 119

6. Ashland-103

7. Cedarville-94

8.Malone- 76

9.Walsh-64

10.Thomas More-63

11. Ursuline-50

12.Kentucky Wesleyan-39

13. Lake Erie-27