Rock Hill, S.C.----The Wingate University Bulldogs have been picked to finish second in the preseason South Atlantic Conference softball poll, which was released Tuesday morning. In addition, Kaylee Hobgood and Jillian Thomas are preseason first team All-SAC selections, with Lily Huneycutt, Lily Robbins and Damyia McFadden earning SAC Player to Watch accolades.

Lenoir-Rhyne is the preseason favorite, earning nine of the 12 first-place votes. Wingate is second, picking up the other three first-place votes. LMU is third, followed by Carson-Newman, Tusculum, Anderson and Emory & Henry. Catawba is eighth, with Mars Hill, Newberry, UVA Wise and Coker rounding out the poll.

Wingate went 39-23 last season, with an 18-6 mark in league play. The 'Dogs won their third straight regular season SAC title, hosting SAC Tourney contests for the third straight year. The Bulldogs earned a bid to the NCAA Tournament for the fourth straight season.

Hobgood was an All-SAC and All-Region honoree in 2025. She hit a team-best .397, piling up a team-best 71 hits including six doubles and two triples. She drove in 22 runs while scoring 42 times, adding five stolen bases.

Thomas earned all-conference accolades last year. She went 15-7 with a 2.70 ERA, while striking out 108 in 124 2/3 innings of work. Thomas notched seven complete games with four shutouts, holding opponents to a .224 average.

Robbins was an All-SAC selection in her first season at Wingate. She went 7-3 as a freshman with a 3.09 ERA. Robbins struck out 75 in 77 innings of work, making 27 appearances including 14 starts. Robbins held opponents to a .236 average on the year.

Huneycutt made 20 appearances in the circle, going 8-5 with a 3.53 ERA, adding a save. She piled up 51 strikeouts in 67 innings of work, tossing three complete games. She also hit .288 on the season, collecting three doubles, eight RBI and 12 runs scored.

McFadden posted a .353 average in her first season with the Bulldogs, good for third on the team. She piled up 67 hits including four doubles and two triples, driving in 20 runs and scoring 31 times. McFadden led the 'Dogs with 11 stolen bases in 15 attempts.

Wingate opens the season at home, hosting Lander for a doubleheader Feb. 4 at 1 p.m. The 'Dogs follow by traveling to Columbus State for the CSU Invitational next weekend, taking on Florida Southern, Tuskegee, Auburn-Montgomery and Columbus State.

SAC Softball Preseason Poll
 

Rank	School (First Place Votes)	Score
1.	Lenoir-Rhyne (9)	130
2.	Wingate (3)	123
3.	Lincoln Memorial	101
4.	Carson-Newman	99
5.	Tusculum	95
6.	Anderson	79
7.	Emory & Henry	74
8.	Catawba	67
9.	Mars Hill	53
10.	Newberry	47
11.	UVA Wise	30
12.	Coker	26

SAC Softball Preseason All-Conference
Catcher
C – Lani Warren, Lenoir-Rhyne
Infield
1B – Avery Kiger, Lenoir-Rhyne
2B – Brooke Smith, Tusculum
SS – Ellie Alvarez, Tusculum
3B – Macauley Bailey, Carson-Newman
Outfield
OF – Kaylee Hobgood, Wingate
OF – Abby Hunter, Tusculum
OF – Maddy Staples, Newberry
Designated Player / Utility
DP – Hanna Bogoski, Lincoln Memorial
UTL/Non-P – Brianna Gallagher, Catawba
UTL/P – Carson Hobbs, Anderson
Pitchers
P – Katie Morris, Anderson
P – Jillian Thomas, Wingate

Players to Watch
Anderson: Shelby Bandt, Kora Kilgore, Bella Harbour
Carson-Newman: Grace Gregory, Santana Anderson, Abbi Martin, Malyiah Smith
Catawba: Alex Baquie, Maddy Altiers, Grace Flynn, Kate Holland
Coker: Cheyenne Palmer, Mya Cribbs, Brooklyn Lovin, Bailee Gaskins, Lacey Hennessy
Emory & Henry: Abigail Street, Rachel Hill, Malorie Reeves, Hannah Booth, Tristyn Tofano
Lenoir-Rhyne: Sage Young, Autumn Joyce, Montana Honeycutt
Lincoln Memorial: Reese Vivrette, Hannah McMeen, Kristin Griffin, Anna Kate Reichter
Mars Hill: Maia Sholter, Bri Weimer, Sara Rexrode, Brooke Hanson, Sydney Hodges
Newberry: Sam Clark, Maddy Staples, Peyton Little, Haidyn Campbell
Tusculum: Sammy Jimenez, Catherine O'Donohue
UVA Wise: Taylor Clay, Adyson Gibson, Chloe Murphy, Kaylynn Baker, Lindsey Polan
Wingate: Lily Robbins, Lily Huneycutt, Damyia McFadden