BISMARCK, N.D. (PlayNorthStar.com) – Dickinson State (N.D.) edged Valley City State (N.D.) by one point to claim the top spot of the 2022 North Star Athletic Association Softball Coaches’ Preseason Poll, announced Tuesday by the conference office.
The Blue Hawks recorded five first place votes and collected 58 points in the preseason poll. DiSU won the NSAA postseason tournament and advanced to the NAIA Softball National Tournament Opening Round, finishing with an overall record of 34-15 and 19-8 in North Star contests.
VCSU, who won the NSAA regular-season title in 2021 with 35-7 overall record and 25-2 record in league play, finished second in the preseason poll with 57 points. Bellevue (Neb.) picked up the final two first place votes and placed third with 53 points.
Mayville State (N.D.) registered 40 points to finish fourth in the preseason poll, followed by Dakota State (S.D.) fifth with 31 points. Waldorf (Iowa) edged Viterbo (Wis.) by three points (21-18) to finish sixth. Presentation (S.D.) was eighth with 10 points.
Points were awarded on an 8-1 basis in the conference coaches’ preseason poll.
The North Star conference softball season gets underway on March 26. All eight members are scheduled to play a total of 28 conference contests in the spring.
The NSAA Softball conference tournament will be held in Watertown, S.D. at Premier Softball Complex on May 5-7. There is one automatic bid to the NAIA Softball National Tournament Opening round, with 10 different sites with four teams each competing in a double-elimination tournament on May 16-18. The winner of the postseason conference tournament will earn the automatic bid to the national tournament.
The NAIA Softball World Series take place in Columbus, Ga. on May 26-June 1.
Below is the complete 2022 NSAA Softball Coaches’ Preseason Poll:
| Rank | School | Points |
| 1 | Dickinson State (N.D.) (5) | 58 |
| 2 | Valley City State (N.D.) (1) | 57 |
| 3 | Bellevue (Neb.) (2) | 53 |
| 4 | Mayville State (N.D.) | 40 |
| 5 | Dakota State (S.D.) | 31 |
| 6 | Waldorf (Iowa) | 21 |
| 7 | Viterbo (Wis.) | 18 |
| 8 | Presentation (S.D.) | 10 |
| *First-place votes in parenthesis | ||