Tiger Rag News Services
The Southeastern Conference coaches released their preseason predictions on Thursday morning. Beth Torina’s LSU softball team was picked to finish seventh in the league. The Tigers received 119 votes.
Texas, the reigning 2025 National Champions, is predicted to win the SEC after tallying 189 points and earning nine first-place votes. Oklahoma, the defending regular-season SEC Champions, finished second with 186 points and secured the remaining six first-place votes. Tennessee placed No. 3 with 166 points. Points were compiled in descending order, and coaches could not vote for their own teams.
LSU enters the 2026 campaign ranked No. 13 in the ESPN.com/USA Softball Preseason Top 25 Poll, No. 16 in the NFCA/GoRoute Division I Top 25 Preseason Poll and No. 12 in both the D1Softball Preseason Top 25 Poll and the Softball America Division I Preseason Top 25 Poll.
Last season, LSU advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the 19th consecutive year, marking the program’s 26th appearance overall. The Tigers finished the 2025 season with a 42-16 record, posting the program’s third straight 40-win season and the eighth such campaign in the last 11 years.
Catcher Maci Bergeron and utility player Tori Edwards were named to the 2026 Preseason All-SEC Softball Team, while LSU is picked to finish seventh in the 2026 SEC Softball Preseason Coaches’ Poll, announced Thursday by the league office. Notably, last season Bergeron and Edwards were both NFCA All-Americans.
Bergeron posted a .364 batting average last season with 60 hits, including nine home runs, scored 37 runs, and drove in 49 RBI. Bergeron also drew 45 walks and finished with a .498 on-base percentage, ranking No. 5 and No. 7, respectively, in the program’s single-season record book. Defensively, the veteran backstop recorded a .994 fielding percentage with 312 putouts, 13 assists, and two errors, caught five runners stealing, and was part of two double plays.
Edwards, the 2025 SEC Freshman of the Year, set a program record with an .802 slugging percentage and tied the school record with 18 home runs. Her 73 RBI rank No. 3 and .495 on-base percentage No. 9 in the LSU record book. She also batted .375 with 62 hits, scored 52 runs, and drew 37 walks. Defensively, at first base, she had 346 putouts and eight assists.
2026 SEC Softball Preseason Coaches Poll (Preseason ranking, team, first-place votes, points received)
1. Texas (9) – 189
2. Oklahoma (6) – 186
3. Tennessee – 166
4. Florida – 144
5. Arkansas – 137
6. Texas A&M – 125
7. LSU – 119
8. Georgia – 105
9. Alabama – 94
10. South Carolina – 90
11. Mississippi State – 65
12. Auburn – 55
13. Ole Miss – 51
14. Missouri – 32
15. Kentucky – 17
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