Photo by: Mark Kuhlmann
Softball atop 2025 Summit League Preseason Poll
Feb 5, 2025 | Softball
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. - Omaha softball, back-to-back Summit League champions, were selected first Wednesday in the 2025 Summit League Preseason Coaches' Poll, as announced by the conference office.
The Mavericks received 35 points in the poll with five first-place votes, followed by South Dakota State's 32 points and two first-place selections. Rounding out the poll are South Dakota, St. Thomas, Kansas City, North Dakota State and North Dakota.
Omaha enters the 2025 campaign after a historic 2024 season that saw the Mavericks go 14-4 in conference play to finish 43-15 overall, including an NCAA regional runner-up finish, the first in the program's Division I history.
Two Mavericks were tabbed Players to Watch in senior infielder Maggie O'Brien and sophomore transfer pitcher Maddia Groff. O'Brien returns to Omaha after leading the team in batting average in 2024 at .360. Bringing in 22 runs, O'Brien recorded 12 extra-base hits last season with a pair of home runs. She started all 58 games for Omaha.
Omaha native Groff joins the Mavericks for the 2025 season, along with her twin sister Rylinn. Groff comes to Omaha from Southern Illinois where the Marian high school product pitched in 42 games for Southern Illinois last season, making 29 starts. Posting an impressive ERA of just 1.11 in over 220 innings of work, Groff struck out a staggering 244 batters as a freshman, good for sixth in the country. Groff recorded 10 or more strikeouts six times in 2024, including a season-best 15 against Evansville on April 14, 2024.
She finished her rookie campaign with a 30-5 record with three saves in relief and was named to the Softball America Preseason Top 100 list.
Head coach Mike Heard commences his fourth season at the helm of the Mavericks in 2025.
Omaha softball begins the 2025 season on Feb. 7 against Loyola Chicago in the UNI Dome Tournament. Season tickets for home games at Connie Claussen Field are on-sale now atĀ OMavs.com/Tix.
Connect with Omaha softball onĀ X (formerly Twitter)Ā andĀ Instagram,Ā @OmahaSB.
Ā
The Mavericks received 35 points in the poll with five first-place votes, followed by South Dakota State's 32 points and two first-place selections. Rounding out the poll are South Dakota, St. Thomas, Kansas City, North Dakota State and North Dakota.
Omaha enters the 2025 campaign after a historic 2024 season that saw the Mavericks go 14-4 in conference play to finish 43-15 overall, including an NCAA regional runner-up finish, the first in the program's Division I history.
Two Mavericks were tabbed Players to Watch in senior infielder Maggie O'Brien and sophomore transfer pitcher Maddia Groff. O'Brien returns to Omaha after leading the team in batting average in 2024 at .360. Bringing in 22 runs, O'Brien recorded 12 extra-base hits last season with a pair of home runs. She started all 58 games for Omaha.
Omaha native Groff joins the Mavericks for the 2025 season, along with her twin sister Rylinn. Groff comes to Omaha from Southern Illinois where the Marian high school product pitched in 42 games for Southern Illinois last season, making 29 starts. Posting an impressive ERA of just 1.11 in over 220 innings of work, Groff struck out a staggering 244 batters as a freshman, good for sixth in the country. Groff recorded 10 or more strikeouts six times in 2024, including a season-best 15 against Evansville on April 14, 2024.
She finished her rookie campaign with a 30-5 record with three saves in relief and was named to the Softball America Preseason Top 100 list.
Head coach Mike Heard commences his fourth season at the helm of the Mavericks in 2025.
Omaha softball begins the 2025 season on Feb. 7 against Loyola Chicago in the UNI Dome Tournament. Season tickets for home games at Connie Claussen Field are on-sale now atĀ OMavs.com/Tix.
Connect with Omaha softball onĀ X (formerly Twitter)Ā andĀ Instagram,Ā @OmahaSB.
Ā
Players Mentioned
P
/ Softball
INF
/ SoftballMonday, October 05
Tuesday, September 01
Wednesday, August 26
Friday, August 21
