Tars Picked Sixth in SSC Preseason Poll

ORLANDO, FLORIDA - The Sunshine State Conference announced the results of the 2026 Softball preseason poll on Friday. Rollins was selected to finish sixth, while Tampa and Saint Leo both received 90 points in a tie for first.

Tampa enters the 2026 season atop the preseason poll for the fifth consecutive year, while Saint Leo joins them in pursuit of its first Sunshine State Conference championship since 2017. The Spartans, who finished as the 2025 national runner-up, have won four straight conference titles and will look to extend that streak to five. Nova Southeastern University received 81 points and is projected to finish third. Just four points behind the Sharks is Barry University who earned 77 points, earning a fourth-place projection. Eckerd College leads the middle of the pack in fifth with 64 points, while Rollins College sits sixth with 57 points.

Florida Institute of Technology is projected seventh with 46 points. Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University is projected to finish in eighth (43), followed by Lynn University (24), Palm Beach Atlantic University (22), and Florida Southern College (11).

Rollins finished last season with a record of 30-14, including 19-11 in SSC play. Despite winning their last four games of the year, the Tars were not selected for the NCAA postseason. Brianna Perantoni returns for her sophomore campaign after claiming the NFCA South Region Freshman of the year title. In her inaugural campaign, Perantoni led the Tars with a .421 batting average, 64 hits, four triples, 74 total bases, and a .418 OBP in 44 games. Madi Carr (.322, 10 XBH) and Brooke Theisen (.318, 26 R) are also back to provide some thump in the middle of the lineup. Newcomers on offense include Palm Beach Atlantic transfer Daylin Hejtmanek, and freshmen Alondra Maldonado-Ortiz (Winter Springs HS) and Isabella Golas (Park Vista HS). 

In the circle, Rollins returns their top two ERA leaders from last season. Camila Leon-Blanco went 9-1 with a 1.44 ERA in 63.1 innings as a freshman while Reese Twiggs led the team in innings (88.2) with a 2.13 ERA. A pair of freshman arms will look to make an impact as well Addison Zajkowski (Stoneman Douglas HS) and Addie Crawford (Central Academy of Tech & Arts) have caught the eye of head coach Christine Roser-LeFevers in the fall season. 

The Tars open their season on the road with a doubleheader at Flagler on Saturday, January 31. Their first home games will be on Valentine's Day weekend when they take one Auburn Montgomery and Angelo State two times each. 

Projected - Team - Total (First-Place Votes)
T1 Tampa 90 (5)
T1 Saint Leo 90 (4)
3 Nova Southeastern 81 (1)
4 Barry 77 (1)
5 Eckerd 64
6 Rollins 57
7 Florida Tech 46
8 Embry-Riddle 43
9 Lynn 24
10 Palm Beach Atlantic 22
11 Florida Southern 11