Mansfield, Mass. - For the fifth time in the past six years, the Adelphi University softball team was picked to finish atop the Southwest Division in the preseason coaches' poll, released by the Northeast-10 Conference office on Tuesday.

Adelphi, winners of three of the past six league championships, earned 88 points and four first-place votes to top its side of the conference, with 2018 runners-up Pace University slotting in second with seven first-place votes and 83 total points. 

The Panthers have landed on top of the division in every preseason since 2016, with this year's poll marking four straight. 

In the Northeast Division, Saint Anselm College was the top overall point-getter in the conference, with 108 points and 11 first-place votes on the side overall, coming off of a regional title and an appearance in the NCAA Division II National Championship game last season.

Southern New Hampshire University and Merrimack College round out the top-three with 98 and 89 points, respectively. 

The full preseason poll can be found below.

2019 NE10 Softball Preseason Coaches' Poll
Northeast Division

1. Saint Anselm - 108 (11)
2. SNHU - 98 (3)
3. Merrimack - 89 (1)
4. Assumption - 70
5. Bentley - 58
6. Stonehill - 38
7. Franklin Pierce - 38
8. Saint Michael's - 33

Southwest Division

1. Adelphi - 88 (4)
2. Pace - 83 (7)
3. New Haven - 77 (3)
4. Le Moyne - 70 (1)
5. SCSU - 39
6. Saint Rose - 34
7. American Int'l - 23

Adelphi and first-year head coach Carla Campagna will begin the 2019 season on the West Coast, on the campus of Dixie State University in Saint George, Utah for four games across the weekend of Feb. 16-17, before heading to California for a seven-game swing.

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About Adelphi Athletics
A regionally and nationally competitive NCAA Division II institution located in Garden City, N.Y., Adelphi University has been a proud member of the Northeast-10 Conference since 2009.

Winners of 16 NCAA Division II National Championships and four NE10 Presidents' Cups, Panther athletes have excelled at the conference, regional and national level, both on the field of play and in the classroom. In turn, the Adelphi athletic department is committed to fostering an environment of diversity, inclusion, equity and success where its student-athletes can thrive both on campus and off.

Stay connected with Adelphi Athletics by following the Panthers at aupanthers.com or via social media on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram and wear your Panther pride by shopping official Adelphi Panthers gear at our licensed team store.