PROVIDENCE, R.I. - The Eastern Connecticut State University softball team was named the unanimous preseason favorite by the Little East Conference (LEC) head coaches, totaling 64 points and each of a possible eight first-place votes in the 2022 LEC Softball Preseason Coaches’ Poll.
 
The Warriors repeated as LEC tournament champions a year ago on their way to posting a 32-4 overall record. Eastern defeated top-seeded University of Southern Maine 8-4 and 7-0 in the best-of-three LEC championship series to secure their sixth conference tournament crown, and then went 2-2 at the NCAA Regional hosted by Husson.
 
The Huskies were picked to finish second by the league’s head coaches with 56 points. Southern Maine is coming off one of its best seasons in program history, which saw it post an overall record of 31-6-1 and claimed the LEC regular season title with a near-perfect 15-1 record. The Huskies reached the LEC tournament final for the first time since 2006, and received one of six at-large berths in the NCAA tournament.
 
UMass Dartmouth was projected to finished third with 45 points and accounted for the remaining first-place vote. Rounding out the projected six-team LEC tournament field are Castleton University, Plymouth State university and Keene State College.
 
The complete preseason poll is as follows:
 
2022 LEC Softball Preseason Coaches’ Poll
1. Eastern Connecticut - 64 points (8 FPV)
2. Southern Maine - 56 points
3. UMass Dartmouth - 45 points (1 FPV)
4. Castleton - 39 points
5. Plymouth State - 33 points
6. Keene State - 30 points
7. Western Connecticut - 26 points
8. UMass Boston - 19 points
9. Rhode Island College - 12 points
 
Note: Coaches are not permitted to vote for their own team