Dubuque, Iowa - The American Rivers Conference (A-R-C) announced the 2026 Softball Preseason Coaches Poll on Wednesday afternoon. The University of Dubuque softball team was voted tied for sixth by the coaches.

The Spartans finished last season with a 23-15 record, going 8-8 in conference and narrowly missing the A-R-C Tournament on a tiebreaker. Gearing up for the 2025 season, spirits are high after a great first-year season with head coach Kristen Duross. The Spartans' opening set of games will be in Melbourne, Fla., where they will face eight teams from March 3 to March 6.

This season, the Spartans return six starters, including all-conference selection Kaitlyn Powell. Last season, Powell had a top-five batting average in the A-R-C (.435). Powell also ranked second all-time at UD in batting percentage, triples (5) and runs in a single season (36). Junior Lauren Jacobs returns after a year where she tied for second all-time for most triples (5) in a single season. Returning to the pitchers' room is Ciaran Rigby, who had three shutouts and 10 wins last season. Sophomore Madison Taeger also returns with a strong impact on defense, registering a .993 fielding percentage last year with 146 putouts.

Hear From Kristen Duross
"After building momentum last year we are very excited about going into this spring," said Duross. "We have a talented group that includes six seniors and I'm looking forward to them stepping up and doing what they do best. The American Rivers Conference is a very talented conference, where on any given day, anyone can beat anyone; looking forward to some great competition this year!"

Starting 2026 in Florida, the Spartans will open up the season on March 2 against Misericordia University (Pa.) and Houghton University (Mich.). On March 3, they will play Rose Hulman (Ind.) and New England College (N.H.). Then, after a one-day break, they face Concordia University Chicago and John Carroll University (Ohio) on March 5. To wrap up spring break, they play Anna Maria College (Mass.) and Concordia College (Minn.) on March 6. All games during spring break are scheduled to be played at the USSSA Space Coast Complex in Melbourne, Fla.

The A-R-C Softball Tournament will be held May 8-9 at the No. 1 seed's home venue for a chance at the automatic bid to the 2025 NCAA Division III Softball Championships.

For more information regarding University of Dubuque softball, please visit https://udspartans.com/sports/softball for all the latest information on rosters, schedule information, and latest news.