Nashville Standard

The Trevecca Nazarene University softball team is primed to begin the 2023 season as co-favorites to win the 2023 Great Midwest Athletic Conference Championship according to the Preseason Coaches' Poll Presented by Under Armour.

Ben Tyree looks to lead the Trojans to another G-MAC Championship and league coaches voted his Trojans and the Ohio Dominican University Panthers as co-favorites to do just that in 2023.  

Last year the Trojans went 33-17 overall and reached the 2022 Great Midwest Championship Final. For the second year in a row, their opponent was Ohio Dominican. TNU and ODU each picked up 124 points with the Trojans getting five first-place votes and ODU four.

The pack at the top is tight for the top four teams in the preseason poll. The University of Findlay received 122 votes and three first-place votes and is third. Fourth is Hillsdale College with 121 points and one first-place vote.

TREVECCA / OHIO DOMINICAN

It should be no surprise Trevecca and Ohio Dominican are at the top of the poll considering their play over the last few years.

In 2022, Trevecca was picked first and Ohio Dominican second. TNU collected six first-place votes to five for ODU. Though Hillsdale won the regular season title, it was TNU and ODU as the last two teams standing at Marathon Park for the second year in a row. ODU won the G-MAC Finals, then won the "If Necessary" game to get the automatic bid to the NCAA Midwest Regional.

In 2021, Trevecca was picked first in the preseason poll with seven first-place votes and Ohio Dominican second with two first-place votes. In the end, it was ODU taking the tournament title and the automatic bid over fellow finalist Trevecca. TNU advanced to the regional with an at-large bid.

In the 2020 season, interrupted by COVID-19, ODU was picked first and Trevecca second. ODU received nine first-place votes and TNU one.

The 2019 preseason poll is the last time Trevecca and Ohio Dominican were not 1-2. Cedarville was the preseason favorite and ODU second. Cedarville picked up five first-place votes and ODU three. Trevecca was fifth with no first-place votes. It is also the last time the finals didn't have Trevecca or Ohio Dominican in them.

Trevecca has a narrow 10-9 lead in the all-time series with ODU, but ODU has come out on top in the last six meetings.

GREAT MIDWEST CHAMPIONSHIP HISTORY

Trevecca won the first four Great Midwest Athletic regular-season titles and postseason championships. In 2021, the Trojans added a fifth regular-season G-MAC title. 

MIDWEST REGIONAL HISTORY

Three times, the Trojans have advanced to the NCAA D2 Regional (2015, 2016, 2021). The Trojans claimed the 2016 Great Midwest regular-season championship and tournament, giving the Trojans the 2016 NCAA Division II Midwest Regional with the conference automatic qualifier. The Trojans picked up their first at-large bid in 2015 and again in 2021. 

Not only is Trevecca the first Great Midwest team to advance to the regional, but they are also the first to secure wins at the regional level. 

SCHEDULE PREVIEW

The Trojan's 2022-23 schedule sees them face two teams ranked in the NFCA DII Top 25 Coaches Poll, No. 16 Indianapolis, and No. 23 Alabama-Huntsville. The Trojans will face both teams at the start of the season at the UAH Charger Chillout on February 10-11. Then a second meeting with Indianapolis on February 25 at the Blue Bridge Classic.

The top two teams in the Great Midwest Preseason Coaches' Poll on meet once this season, it is a double header in the next to last week of the regular season with ODU visiting the Trojans in Nashville on what will be Senior Day.

Original source can be found here