ANNVILLE, Pa. - Over the course of the next week, the Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) will announce their Preseason Coaches' Polls for a number of spring sports. In the coming days, the MAC Commonwealth will release the results for the Preseason Polls for softball (Monday, Jan. 24), baseball (Tuesday, Jan. 25), women's lacrosse (Wednesday, Aug. 26), men's lacrosse (Thursday, Jan. 27), women's tennis (Friday, Jan. 28), and men's tennis (Friday, Jan. 28).
All six of these spring sports will beginning their season in the coming weeks with preseason practices slated to get started in the next few days. Five of the six are slated to begin their season on the road, most looking for warmer climates for their first contests. Women's lacrosse is the lone outlier, opening their season in Grantham by hosting the Scranton Royals on the Lacrosse Turf on Feb. 19 at 1:00 p.m.
Check back throughout the week for preseason polls as they are released:
Monday, January 24, 2022 - Softball
On Monday, the MAC released its preseason poll for the upcoming 2022 Softball season. The Falcons Were picked in a tie for 2nd with the Alvernia Golden Wolves, earning 53 total points in the poll. The York Spartans occupy the top spot in the poll with 63 points and seven of the nine first-place votes.
The Alvernia Golden Wolves earned the other two first-place votes, tying with the Falcons with 53 points. Lebanon Valley (36 points) sits alone in fourth while Eastern (35 points) and Stevenson (35 points) round out the top-five in a tie for fifth.
The Falcons are scheduled to begin the 2022 slate with a road trip to Methodist University for a doubleheader on Feb. 25. Messiah is scheduled to play their first 22 games on the road or at a neutral site before returning home on April 2 for a doubleheader against Lebanon Valley.
2022 MAC Commonwealth Softball Coaches' Preseason Poll
1 - York - 63 points (7 first-place votes)
t2 - Alvernia - 53 (2)
t2 - Messiah - 53
4 - Lebanon Valley - 36
t5 - Eastern - 35
t5 - Stevenson - 35
7 - Widener - 26
8 - Hood - 15
9 - Albright - 8
Tuesday, January 25, 2022 - Baseball
On Tuesday, the Messiah baseball team was picked sixth in the 2022 MAC Commonwealth Preseason Coaches' Poll. The Falcons earned 29 points in the poll after finishing the 2021 season with a 12-16-1 record last season.
York sits atop the Preseason Poll with 63 points and seven first-place votes. Lebanon Valley earned the other two first-place votes, picking up 57 points to place in second. Alvernia (51 points), Widener (37 points), and Stevenson (35 points) rounded out the top-five with the Falcons close behind in sixth.
New head coach
Phill Shallenberger and the Falcons are set to begin the 2022 season with a road trip to Methodist University in Fayetteville, N.C. on Feb. 18.
2022 MAC Commonwealth Baseball Coaches' Preseason Poll
1 - York - 63 points (7 first-place)
2 - Lebanon Valley - 57 (2)
3 - Alvernia - 51
4 - Widener - 37
5 - Stevenson - 35
6 - Messiah - 29
7 - Eastern - 22
8 - Hood - 21
9 - Albright - 9
Wednesday, January 26, 2022 - Women's Lacrosse
On Wednesday, Messiah women's lacrosse was tabbed as favorites for the upcoming conference season. Earning a total of 63 points (7 first-place votes), the Falcons topped the list of MAC Commonwealth schools. York College placed second with a total of 58 (2) points.
On May 1, 2021, Messiah topped York, 17-10, in the 2021 MAC Commonwealth Championship game to capture its eighth conference crown in program history. The Falcons rode that momentum into the NCAA Tournament, defeating Illinois Wesleyan University (20-3) and SUNY Cortland (16-12) before being halted by St. John Fisher College, 9-5, in the Elite Eight,
2022 MAC Commonwealth Women's Lacrosse Preseason Coaches' Poll
1 - Messiah - 63 (7 first-place)
2 - York (58 (2)
3 - Stevenson - 48
4 - Lebanon Valley - 40
5 - Widener - 39
6 - Albright - 30
7 - Hood - 22
8 - Alvernia - 15
9 - Eastern - 9
Thursday, January 27, 2022 - Men's Lacrosse
On Thursday morning, the MAC Commonwealth released the results of the 2022 Preseason Coaches' Poll for men's lacrosse. The Messiah Falcons checked in at seventh place, earning 24 points. The defending MAC Commonwealth Champion York Spartans earned the top spot in the poll with all eight first-place votes and a total of 64 points.
Stevenson (57 points), Eastern (50), Widener (43), and Hood (30) rounded out the top five with Lebanon Valley finishing just five points ahead Messiah with 29 points in sixth place.
The Falcons are slated to begin the 2022 season with a non-conference contest against the McDaniel Green Terror on Wednesday, Feb. 23 on the road. Messiah is scheduled to play their first home game of the year on Mar. 2 when the King's College Monarchs come to Grantham for a 7:00 p.m. game.
2022 MAC Commonwealth Men's Lacrosse Coaches' Preseason Poll
1 - York - 64 points (8 first-place)
2 - Stevenson - 57
3 - Eastern - 50
4 - Widener - 43
5 - Hood - 30
6 - Lebanon Valley - 29
7 - Messiah - 24
8 - Albright - 19
9 - Alvernia - 8
Friday, January 28, 2022 - Women's Tennis
On Friday morning the Messiah women's tennis team was picked to finish fifth in the upcoming MAC Commonwealth season. The Falcons earned 24 points to clinch the fifth spot in the Preseason Coaches' Poll.
The York Spartans earned the top position in the poll with 48 points and six first-place votes from opponent's head coaches. The Lebanon Valley Dutchmen finished second with two first-place votes and 44 total points in the poll. Alvernia (36 points), Stevenson (30), and Messiah (24) completed the poll's top-five slots.
Messiah is scheduled to begin the 2022 season in Hilton Head, S.C. over spring break, Mar. 5-12. Their first home match of the spring is slated for Apr. 2, when the Albright Lions come to Criste Courts.
2022 MAC Commonwealth Women's Tennis Coaches' Preseason Poll
1 - York - 48 points (6 first-place)
2 - Lebanon Valley - 44 (2)
3 - Alvernia - 36
4 - Stevenson - 30
5 - Messiah - 24
6 - Hood - 17
7 - Eastern - 14
8 - Albright - 11
Friday, January 28, 2022 - Men's Tennis
According to the MAC Commonwealth Preseason Coaches' Poll that was released on Friday morning, the Messiah men's tennis team is expected to finish the upcoming season in third-place in the conference. The Falcons earned 39 total points in the recent poll to finish in third.
The Stevenson Mustangs earned the top slot in the poll with 48 total points and six first-place votes. The Lebanon Valley Dutchmen earned a pair of first-place votes as they finished second with 42 points. Rounding out the top-five was Messiah in third with 39 points, Alvernia in fourth with 30 points, and Eastern in fifth with 23 points.
Messiah is scheduled to begin the spring slate in Hilton Head, S.C. over spring break with their first home match of the year on the docket for Apr. 2 against the Albright Lions.
2022 MAC Commonwealth Men's Tennis Coaches' Preseason Poll
1 - Stevenson - 48 points (6 first-place)
2 - Lebanon Valley - 42 (2)
3 - Messiah - 39
4 - Alvernia - 30
5 - Eastern - 23
6 - York - 21
7 - Albright - 13
8 - Hood - 8
