RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. – Closing in on the start of the 2025 season, the Southeastern Oklahoma State softball team was picked fifth in the 2025 Great American Conference Preseason Poll, the league announced Tuesday.
Southern Nazarene was selected to defend its GAC Tournament title, garnering 119 total votes and nine first nods. Southern Arkansas earned 102 votes in second place, while Harding and Oklahoma Baptist round out the Top 5 in third and fourth with 100 and 95 points, respectively. In addition, SAU, HU and OKBU split the remaining three first-place votes.
The Savage Storm finished 2024 with a 26-28 overall record and a 17-16 mark in conference play, ending the season as the sixth seed in the league tournament. SE won its opening round game at the conference tournament against Arkansas-Monticello 9-4 but later fell to Harding in the following round 6-1.
SE returns a handful of players from last year's squad, including its top arm in the circle in
Emily Simmons. The sophomore from Houston earned All-GAC Honorable Mention honors as a freshman after putting together a season with 100 strikeouts and an ERA of 3.07 in 125.1 innings. Additonally, Simmons threw 13 complete games, including three shutouts, helping her to a 9-8 record. Simmons is joined by
Alyson Malone as another returning arm from last season.
At the plate, Southeastern returns one of its best bats from 2024 in
Sage Harlow. Harlow led the team with 59 hits, including 18 multi-hit games, and had 31 RBIs while carrying a .326 batting average. The Whitewright, Texas native compiled 10 doubles, three home runs, and seven walks for 78 total bases in 181 at-bats. While Harlow will be a important piece in the batting lineup this season for the Storm, they will be without longtime players
Gracie Ore and
Kady Fryrear, who graduated at the end of last year.
Head coach
Mackenzie Sher and the Storm strengthened the roster in the offseason, adding six freshmen and three transfers. Highlighting some of the newcomers are transfers,
Brinly Burke and
Bailey Kite. Burke joins SE from Navarro Community College, where she played for two seasons, racking up 58 hits, 39 RBIs and 18 doubles. Kite played two seasons at Grayson Community College before joining the Storm, where she totaled 107 strikeouts in 92.2 innings and held a career 2.87 ERA.
Southeastern opens the season with the DII First Pitch Invitational in Houston on Jan. 31- Feb. 2. SE will face five teams over three days, beginning with St. Mary's on Friday, Jan. 31 at 11 a.m. before taking on UT-Tyler later that day at 1:30 p.m.
2025 GAC Preseason Softball Poll
| Team |
Total Votes |
First-Place Votes |
| Southern Nazarene |
119 |
9 |
| Southern Arkansas |
102 |
1 |
| Harding |
100 |
1 |
| Oklahoma Baptist |
95 |
1 |
| Southeastern Okla. St. |
83 |
|
| Arkansas Tech |
72 |
|
| Arkansas-Monticello |
58 |
|
| Henderson State |
43 |
|
| Southwestern Okla. St. |
41 |
|
| East Central |
38 |
|
| Ouachita Baptist |
24 |
|
| Northwestern Okla. St. |
17 |
|
