NEW YORK - The softball coaches in the Skyline Conference have selected Mount Saint Mary College to repeat as champions in their 2017 preseason coaches poll.

Head coach Jess Mushel's Knights (23-12 / 16-2 Skyline) received all nine possible first-place votes, after capturing their first title in 2016. Junior pitcher Cindy Connoly was a second-team NFCA All-Northeast Region selection after registering a 14-4 record in the circle with 124 strikeouts against 10 walks in 104.2 innings of action.

The Sage Colleges (27-15 / 14-4) are second in the tally (71 pts.) after advancing to last season's final round, while College of Mount Saint Vincent (21-17 / 14-4) picked up the other first-place vote (62 pts.) after making a third-place run in the 2016 championship.

Rounding out the poll are: St. Joseph's College-Long Island (56); Farmingdale State College (53); SUNY Purchase College (41); SUNY Old Westbury (30); St. Joseph's College-Brooklyn (26); Sarah Lawrence College (21); and Yeshiva University (9).

The six-team, double-elimination 2017 Skyline Conference Softball Championship will take place May 4-7 at the No. 1 seed. The title winner secures the Skyline's automatic bid to the 2017 NCAA Division III Softball Championship.
Rank, Team (2016 Record / Conference Record) - Points (first-place votes)
1. Mount Saint Mary (23-12 / 16-2) - 81 (9)
2. Sage (27-15 / 14-4) - 71
3. Mount Saint Vincent (21-17 / 14-4) - 62 (1)
4. St. Joseph's-Long Island (21-14 / 13-5) - 56
5. Farmingdale State (15-18 / 12-6) - 53
6. Purchase (19-12 / 7-11) - 41
7. Old Westbury (10-14 / 6-12) - 30
8. St. Joseph's-Brooklyn (9-16 / 4-14) - 26
9. Sarah Lawrence (9-22 / 2-16) - 21
10. Yeshiva (7-22 / 2-16) - 9