WASHINGTON – Dayton, who returns both the Atlantic 10 Player and Rookie of the Year, was selected as the A-10 Softball Preseason Favorites, it was announced on Wednesday.

The A-10 Preseason Poll is voted on by the league's head coaches.
 
The Flyers enter the season the top overall selection in the poll, securing 93 total points behind five first-place votes. Dayton is led by the 2023 Atlantic 10 Player of the Year Emma Schutter, who finished last season ranked fourth in the nation with 85 hits and fifth with a .467 average, both Dayton single-season records. The 2023 A-10 Rookie of the Year Izzy Kemp leads the Flyers in the circle, after leading the team with a 1.72 ERA, which ranked second in the A-10 and among the top 50 nationally last year. Both Schutter and Kemp were NFCA First Team All-Region selections a year ago. 
 
Loyola Chicago earned distinction at second on the Preseason Poll, collecting 91 total points and four first-place votes. The Ramblers made it to the conference championship game last season and took eventual champion George Mason to a deciding game before narrowly falling in 10 innings. Loyola finished the regular season in second place last year at 19-6. 

The reigning Atlantic 10 champions, George Mason, check in at third in the preseason poll, collecting 66 total points and one first place vote. The Patriots ran through the conference tournament last season, defeating Loyola Chicago in a 10-inning classic in the championship. George Mason advanced to the Durham regional of the NCAA Tournament, narrowly falling to No. 8 Duke and Campbell. Mason is led by returning A-10 First Team selection Marlaina Bozek, who batted .307/.400/.433 with 46 hits, 10 doubles, three triples, one home run, 29 runs scored,13 RBIs and four sacrifice flies in 2023. 
 
Saint Louis, who finished atop the regular season standings at 20-6, grab the fourth place spot in the poll with 64 points. The Billikens are led by the 2023 A-10 Coach of the Year Christy Connoyer and First Team All-Conference Selection Abby Mallo. Mallo led the league in both RBIs (54) and home runs (10) last season while posting a .312 batting average and a .400 on-base percentage in A-10 games.
 
Fordham, who leads the conference in A-10 Championships, comes in at fifth in the preseason poll with 62 points. The Rams are led by 2023 First Team All-League selection Neleh Nogay, who batted .500 in conference play and led the Rams with a .428 on-base percentage, 15 steals and 52 hits. 

Rhode Island (60 points), George Washington (40 points), Saint Joseph's (36 points), Massachusetts (28 points) and St. Bonaventure (10 points) fill out the  poll. 
  
The 2024 A-10 Softball season officially starts on Friday, Feb. 9 with eight of the league's 10 programs getting underway during the opening weekend. Conference play begins on Saturday, March 16 before the league concludes the campaign with the 2024 Atlantic 10 Softball Championship, set for May 8-11 at Bahoshy Field on the campus of Fordham University in Bronx, N.Y.