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America East Softball Announces 2026 Preseason Rankings, All-Conference Team

Binghamton secured its first conference title since 2015, can the Bearcats repeat in 2026?
Nicole Reitz|
Binghamton captured the program’s first conference title in a decade.
Binghamton captured the program’s first conference title in a decade. | Binghamton Athletics

The NCAA Division I softball season is just a week away from starting, and the American East conference has announced its preseason poll and All-Conference Team, voted on by the league’s coaches.

Binghamton captured the program’s first conference title in a decade last year. Can they do it again, or will another American East team, like runners-up Bryant, rise to the top?

Check out the top six teams, plus the players who are expected to shine this spring. 

American East Preseason Poll 

  1. Binghamton (25 points) 
  2. Bryant (19 points) 
  3. UMBC (15)
  4. UAlbany (13 points) 
  5. UMass Lowell (11 points) 
  6. Maine (7 points) 

American East Preseason All-Conference Team 

  • Elisa Allen, C, Binghamton 
  • Emma Lawson, 1B, Binghamton 
  • Akira Kopec, 2B, Binghamton 
  • Amaya Carroll, SS, UMBC
  • Emily Riggs, 3B, UMBC
  • Maddy Dodig, 3B, UMBC
  • Taylor Quinn, OF, UAlbany
  • Thyanais Santiago, OF, UMass Lowell
  • Ella Squires, OF, UMBC
  • Rachel Carey, DP, Binghamton
  • Lexi Powell, UTL, Bryant 
  • Olivia Decitise, P,  UMass Lowell
  • Olivia Kennedy, P, Binghamton
  • Brianna Roberts, P, Binghamton 

Key Takeaways 

Binghamton Bearcats 

The Bearcats landed a league-best seven of 14 preseason All-Conference selections, with reigning America East Player of the Year Elisa Allen and Pitcher of the Year Brianna Roberts. Emma Lawson, Olivia Kennedy, and America East Rookie of the Year Rachel Carey have also been recognized after earning First-Team All-Conference honors after their successful 36-14 season. 

Roberts went 21-4 last year with a 2.44 ERA and 165 strikeouts. Allen was seventh in the nation with 23 home runs, with a .296 batting average and a .852 slugging percentage. Lawson led the league with a .379 batting average, while Carey batted .309 with 11 homers and 37 RBIs. 

Bryant Bulldogs

The Bulldogs are coming off their first-ever DI American East championship appearance. Though they fell to Binghamton, the season was capped with a 22-32 overall record and a conference record of 10-10. In two seasons under head coach Bianka Bell, the Bulldogs are 56-39 and have gained 15 All-Conference selections. 

Lexi Powell is the lone representation on the Preseason All-Conference Team after putting up a career-best performance in 2025. The two-way struck out a career-high 38 batters and threw her first complete game. 

UMBC Retrievers 

The Retrievers, who went 13-8 in America East play last season, will begin 2026 under new head coach Angie Nichoson. 

Amaya Carroll, Emily Riggs, and Ella Squaires were all named to the America East Preseason All-Conference team. Riggs was an offensive star in 2025, batting .343 with 11 home runs, 33 RBIs, and a team-best 25 walks. Caroll, the two-way player, holds a career .261 batting average with nine home runs and 49 RBIs. Squaires went a perfect 89-for-89 in the outfield and holds a career batting average of .345 with 98 hits. 

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Nicole Reitz
NICOLE REITZ

Nicole Reitz graduated from Indiana University Indianapolis with a degree in sports journalism in 2022 and has been writing about softball and baseball since 2018 .Her work has been published in various publications like Softball America, the Indianapolis Star, and SoxOn35th.

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