Softball

2026 #AESB Preseason All-Conference and Preseason Poll Revealed

BOSTON – After capturing the program’s first conference title in a decade, Binghamton was unanimously selected first in the 2026 #AESB Preseason Poll. The Bearcats also had a league-best seven players named to the Preseason All-Conference Team, released on Tuesday afternoon.
 
Binghamton captured all five possible first place votes and 25 total points after going 36-14 with a 16-2 conference record in 2025. Bryant, last year’s runner-up, was selected second with 19 points and the remaining first place vote. UMBC was picked third with 15 points, while UAlbany took fourth (13). UMass Lowell (11) and Maine (7) rounded out the poll..
 
The Bearcats captured seven of a possible 14 preseason all-conference selections, highlighted by reigning Player of the Year Elisa Allen and Pitcher of the Year Brianna Roberts. Emma Lawson, Olivia Kennedy and Rachel Carey also were recognized a year after earning first-team all-conference honors.  
 
2026 #AESB Preseason Poll
Pl. School Pts. (1st)
1. Binghamton 25 (5)
2. Bryant 19 (1)
3. UMBC 15
4. UAlbany 13
5. UMass Lowell 11
6. Maine 7
 
2026 #AESB Preseason All-Conference
C Elisa Allen (Binghamton)
1B Emma Lawson (Binghamton)
2B Akira Kopec (Binghamton)
SS Amaya Carroll (UMBC)
3B Emily Riggs (UMBC)
OF Maddy Dodig (Binghamton)
OF Taylor Quinn (UAlbany)
OF Thyanais Santiago (UMass Lowell)
OF Ella Squaires (UMBC)
DP Rachel Carey (Binghamton)
UTIL Lexi Powell (Bryant)
P Olivia Decitise (UMass Lowell)
P Olivia Kennedy (Binghamton)
P Brianna Roberts (Binghamton)
 
Need to Know:
  • Binghamton secured its first conference title since 2015 with a dominant 2025, going 16-2 in league play and then 3-0 in the conference tournament. The Bearcats captured the championship with a 10-3 victory over Bryant..
  • Binghamton returns Pitcher of the Year Brianna Roberts who went 21-4 last year with a 2.44 ERA and 165 strikeouts. Player of the Year Elisa Allen was 7th nationally with 23 home runs last year while hitting .296 with an .852 slugging percentage.
  • The Bearcats also bring back Emma Lawson, who led the league with a .379 batting average and Rookie of the Year Rachel Cary, who batted .309 with 11 homers and 37 RBI.
  • Bryant went 22-32-1 last year and won three straight games in the conference tournament to advance to the championship for the first time in program history.
  • UMBC finished 13-8 in conference play last year and return a trio of Preseason All-Conference selections in Emily Riggs, Ella Squaires and Amaya Carroll.
  • UAlbany finished 9-8 in conference play and fell 2-1 to Bryant in the final game before the championship.
 
The 2026 #AESB Season begins on Friday, Feb. 6 with four teams in action. Binghamton will face Syracuse and Virginia Tech, while Bryant will battle Abilene Christian Academy and Providence. UMass Lowell will play UT Arlington and New Mexico State, while Maine faces Evansville and North Carolina A&T. UAlbany and UMBC begin their seasons a week later.
 
Fans will once again be able to watch nearly every #AESB conference contest this season. Select games will air on The AE on ESPN while others will air on AmericaEast.TV. Those games will be available on computers, OTT devices and the America East app, which is available on all IOS and Android devices and can be found by searching ‘America East Conference’ in app stores.
 
ABOUT AMERICA EAST
Founded in 1979, the America East Conference is an elite NCAA Division I athletic conference that fosters an environment for student-athletes to become champions. Comprised of academically renowned, like-minded member institutions located in the Northeast region of the United States, America East is committed to broad-based excellence and progressive in its approach to supporting its more than 3,500 student-athletes across 18 sponsored sports. For more information, visit www.AmericaEast.com and follow the America East Conference and its social media channels, @AmericaEast.
 
- America East Conference – Where Champions Rise -