via MCLA press releases D-I Preseason Poll: Gamecocks Rolling
ATLANTA – After winning its first MCLA Division I national championship last spring, South Carolina has been installed as the favorite in the 2020 New Balance Division I Preseason Coaches Poll, which was released on Wednesday.The Gamecocks (21-2 in 2019) captured 19 of the 24 first-place votes to retain a 14-point edge over their closest competition. South Carolina will open the season in Baton Rouge, La., with games against No. 25 LSU (7-8) and Texas A&M (2-0 in 2020).California (17-1), which fell to South Carolina in the 2019 title game, is comfortably in second place. The Golden Bears grabbed the remaining five first-place votes and were 28 points clear of third-ranked Chapman (17-3).Georgia Tech (18-2) is No. 4 after advancing to the national semifinals last spring.The SELC, which sent four teams to nationals in 2019, has four teams ranked in the Top 10 as No. 5 Liberty (16-2) and No. 8 Florida State (9-7) join the Gamecocks and Yellow Jackets.
2020 New Balance MCLA Division I Preseason Poll | RANK | TEAM | POINTS | 1st VOTES |
| 1. | South Carolina | 591 | 19 |
| 2. | California | 577 | 5 |
| 3. | Chapman | 549 | |
| 4. | Georgia Tech | 531 | |
| 5. | Liberty | 489 | |
| 6. | Colorado | 487 | |
| 7. | Arizona State | 424 | |
| 8. | Florida State | 418 | |
| 9. | New Hampshire | 412 | |
| 10. | Cal Poly | 388 | |
| 11. | Concordia-Irvine | 362 | |
| 12. | Michigan State | 338 | |
| 13. | Brigham Young | 281 | |
| 14. | Virginia Tech | 269 | |
| 15. | Connecticut | 266 | |
| 16. | Utah Valley | 206 | |
| 17. | Santa Clara | 190 | |
| 18. | Clemson | 163 | |
| 19. | Arizona | 151 | |
| 20. | Minnesota | 150 | |
| 21. | Grand Canyon | 113 | |
| 22. | Boston College | 86 | |
| 23. | Oregon | 76 | |
| 24. | Stanford | 59 | |
| 25. | LSU | 47 | |
Others receiving votes: Washington (43), USC (32), UC Santa Barbara (30), Texas A&M (21), Colorado State (17), Northeastern (16), Texas (8), Sonoma State (4),
Florida (3), Simon Fraser (2), Indiana (1).
D-II Preseason Poll: It’s the Tommies
ATLANTA – After raising its sixth national championship trophy last May – tied for most titles in MCLA history – St. Thomas has been tabbed the favorite in the 2020 New Balance Division II Preseason Coaches Poll, which was released on Wednesday.The Tommies (11-4) snagged 21 of the 23 first-place votes, keeping them well ahead of second-ranked Dayton (12-4). The Flyers lost to St. Thomas in last year’s championship game.Minn.-Duluth (12-2) – the top-ranked squad heading into the 2019 postseason – sits in the third chair while North Dakota State (7-8) follows in fourth.
College of Idaho (14-1), which broke through to the semifinals last year, rounds out the top five.The UMLC continues its domination of the polls, with six league teams filling out six of the top seven spots in the poll. No. 6 Grand Valley State (8-3) and No. 7 St. John’s (6-6) follow the College of Idaho.The SELC also has a strong showing in the poll, placing five teams in the Top 25, led by No. 8 Kennesaw State (10-4) and No. 9 North Florida (13-2).
2020 New Balance MCLA Division II Preseason Poll | RANK | TEAM | POINTS | 1st VOTES |
| 1. | St. Thomas | 572 | 21 |
| 2. | Dayton | 545 | 2 |
| 3. | Minn.-Duluth | 511 | |
| 4. | North Dakota State | 508 | |
| 5. | College of Idaho | 491 | |
| 6. | Grand Valley State | 450 | |
| 7. | St. John’s | 419 | |
| 8. | Kennesaw State | 400 | |
| 9. | North Florida | 396 | |
| 10. | Montana | 322 | |
| 11. | Northern Arizona | 317 | |
| 12. | UC Davis | 309 | |
| 13. | Utah State | 287 | |
| 14. | Montana State | 268 | |
| 15. | Florida Gulf Coast | 262 | |
| 16. | Bridgewater State | 186 | |
| 17. | UC San Diego | 175 | |
| 18. | Loyola Marymount | 165 | |
| 19. | Missouri State | 163 | |
| 20. | UNC-Charlotte | 133 | |
| 21. | San Diego | 109 | |
| 22. | Rhode Island | 93 | |
| 23. | Central Conn. State | 89 | |
| 24. | Wake Forest | 58 | |
| 25. | Western Oregon | 39 | |
Also receiving votes: Sierra Nevada (34), Rice (27), Cal State San Marcos (26), Baylor (14), Claremont (13), MSU Denver (12), Oklahoma State (12), Stonehill (12), Central Washington (10),
Florida Atlantic (9), Appalachian State (8), Colorado Denver (8), UT-San Antonio (7), Saint Mary’s (6), UC Irvine (5), Louisiana (2), Western Washington (2), San Jose State (1).
