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JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – North Florida claims the top spot in this years Atlantic Sun Conference Preseason Coaches Poll, voted on by the league's 12 head coaches, announced Thursday.
The Ospreys, led by 2025 Coach of the Year, Jeff Conrad, closed out last season with a 47-14 mark, earning a 22-2 conference play record, including a perfect 12-0 record inside the UNF Softball Complex. UNF captured its first tournament title in program history after defeating the EKU Colonels 5-4 at Chocolocca Park in Huntsville, Ala. Preseason Defensive Player of the Year, Kaylin McCarthy batted .272 for the Ospreys last season. She recorded 31 hits, 27 runs scored and three doubles. She led UNF and ranked in the top 10 in the conference in steals with 17. The outfielder contributed to the Ospreys' tournament victory with two hits and an RBI.
Central Arkansas outfielder, Addie Graham was tabbed Preseason Player of the Year. She was a 2025 First Team All-ASUN Selection and ASUN Freshman of the Year. The sophomore recorded the fourth-most hits (68) and the held the seventh-best batting average in the conference (.389). She recorded 12 doubles and three homeruns through a 10-game hitting streak. In the field, she notched 96 putouts and nine assits from center field.
North Alabama's Emily Simon and Alivia Wilken earned Preseason Pitcher of the Year honors. Simon led the Lions with a 2.18 ERA across 80.1 innings. She posted a 9-4 record and notched 62 strikeouts. Wilken pitched 142.0 innings and recorded a 12-8 record with a 2.66 ERA. The New Market, Ala. native threw a complete game shutout against Chattanooga, allowing just three hits across seven innings.
Brie Howard was named Preseason Offensive Player of the Year. Howard recorded 56 hits, seven doubles, three triples, and eight home runs for the Govs last season. She became the first player to hit for the cycle for Austin Peay in the last game of the season against conference opponent, Lipscomb. The outfielder racked up 37 RBIs and 38 runs to post a .354 batting average.
2025 Preseason Coaches Poll
1. North Florida (12), 144
2. EKU, 121
3. Central Arkansas, 112
4. Austin Peay, 106
5. FGCU, 98
6. Stetson, 85
7. North Alabama, 74
8. Lipscomb, 65
9. Jacksonville, 56
10. Queens, 31
11. West Georgia, 26
12. Bellarmine, 18
2025 Preseason All-ASUN Team
P - Emily Simon, North Alabama
P - Alivia Wilken, North Alabama
C - Maddox Thomas, FGCU
IF - Kiley Hinton, Austin Peay
IF - Kaitlyn Graham, Central Arkansas
IF - Kennedy Drafton, EKU
IF - Briley Dover, North Alabama
OF - Brie Howard, Austin Peay
OF - Addie Graham, Central Arkansas
OF - Olivia Black, FGCU
UT/DP - Amber Chumley, Stetson
^ - denotes a unanimous selection
a tie in voting resulted in a 12-person preseason team