The University of Missouri–St. Louis has been tabbed by the league coaches to win the Great Lakes Valley Conference Softball Championship this spring. The UMSL Tritons earned top billing in the poll, which this year ranked teams 1-16 since schools will not play divisional schedules in 2015.

UMSL earned 12 of the 16 first-place votes and totaled 222 points in the poll. The two-time defending GLVC Champion was ranked 13th nationally in the NFCA Division II Preseason Poll last week and is coming off a program-best 49-8 record, which ended at the NCAA Midwest Super Regional. Fifth-year head coach Brian Levin returns 15 players from that squad, including All-Americans Hannah Perryman, the two-time reigning GLVC Pitcher of the Year and national strikeout leader, and Brianna Butler, a senior first baseman with a single-season school record 14 home runs last year. Also returning to the Tritons is sophomore infielder Alex Stupek, who was named GLVC Freshman of the Year, first-team All-Conference, and second-team All-Region last season.

The top eight teams based off conference winning percentage will advance to the 2015 GLVC Championship Tournament, held May 1-3, in East Peoria, Illinois.

UMSL will open this 2015 this weekend in Tucson, Ariz., at the NFCA Lead Off Classic. First pitch for the Tritons is 9 a.m. (MST) on Friday against Texas Women’s.

The complete 2015 GLVC Softball Preseason Poll follows:

2015 GLVC Softball Preseason Poll
RANK SCHOOL (1ST) POINTS
1. Missouri-St. Louis (12) 222
2. Indianapolis (3) 209
3. Bellarmine 189
4. Truman State (1) 187
5. William Jewell 165
6. Lewis 125
7. Rockhurst 117
Southern Indiana 117
9. Illinois Springfield 115
10. Saint Joseph’s 103
11. Quincy 100
12. Drury 80
13. Maryville 77
14. Missouri S&T 50
15. McKendree 48
16. UW-Parkside 16