INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. - The Malone University softball team is ranked eighth according to the Great Midwest Athletic Conference (G-MAC) Coaches Poll prior to the start of the 2026 season.
 
The defending regular season champions in Tiffin University received 11 of the 13 first-place votes and are atop the poll. The University of Findlay is second and Hillsdale College third in the rankings. The Chargers are the reigning G-MAC Tournament champions from 2025.
 
The Pioneers are under the direction of Head Coach Jeff Hite, in his fifth season. Malone is coming off of back-to-back seasons above .500 after a 24-20 mark one year ago. The Pioneers held a 10-14 record inside the conference in 2025.
 
Junior Mia Rose returns to the pitching circle for the team after she led Malone in innings pitched with 145.0 with 20 complete games (four shutouts). She struck out a team-high 136 batters with a 2.90 ERA. Rose was also a top hitter for the Pioneers with a .388 batting average, 1.001 OPS, 45 hits and four homeruns. Rose was a Second Team All-Conference performer in 2025.
 
Junior Sidney Conti tied Rose with 19 RBIs to lead the team. Sophomore Marlee Pireu (17), sophomore Aricka Young (16) and senior Madi Pukansky (15) were other top RBI leaders for the program that are back in the infield for the team in 2026. Junior Lacie Quarles, sophomore Jessie Crookston, senior Amber Miller and senior Sydney Seaman are other regulars in the lineup from last season that return. Ella Collinsworth will move her duties from the outfield to the sidelines as a graduate assistant coach.
 
The class breakdown for Malone softball is five seniors, five juniors, twelve sophomores and six freshmen. Pukansky, Seaman, Miller, Catarena Sommers and Halyn Cawthorne make up the graduating class.
 
The season kicks off for the Pioneers at King University on February 14-15. Malone will square off with the host Tornadoes and West Liberty University in one game each day.