Syracuse, NY — The State University of New York Athletic Conference released its spring coach's preseason polls this past week with the Hawks featured in the top 3 in three of the four released, highlighted by softball who was voted at No. 1 entering the year.
 
The Hawks women's lacrosse program earned No. 2 in their preseason poll, while the defending SUNYAC Baseball Champions were slotted at No. 3 and men's lacrosse at No. 5.
 
Softball came off its best season to date and captured the program's first ever SUNYAC title after defeating rival SUNY Cortland at home to earn an automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament, earning its first ever appearance. The Hawks went 17-1 in SUNYAC play with their only defeat coming against former conference opponent SUNY Geneseo.
 
Behind SUNY New Paltz in the softball preseason poll is Cortland, Oneonta, Buffalo State, Fredonia, Plattsburgh, Potsdam, Oswego, Morrisville and Canton, respectively.
 
View the full SUNYAC Softball Coach's Preseason Poll here.
 
Women's Lacrosse also is coming off its best season to date. The Hawks set new program records for overall wins (14) winning percentage (.667) and conference wins (6), including 13-game winning streak to start the season and earned their first home playoff game after capturing the No. 3 seed in the conference tournament — the highest ever. They then routed No. 4 seed Oneonta in the quarterfinal round to claim the program's first postseason victory. They ultimately fell to former conference opponent SUNY Geneseo in the semifinal round to end their historic run.
 
Reigning conference champions SUNY Cortland earned the top spot in the women's lacrosse coach's poll, followed by the Hawks, Oswego, Oneonta, Canton, Plattsburgh, Buffalo State, Fredonia, Potsdam and Morrisville, respectively.
 
View the full SUNYAC Women's Lacrosse Coach's Preseason Poll here.
 
SUNY New Paltz Baseball had an improbable run that resulted in the program's first ever SUNYAC title in 2024. After missing the postseason for five-straight seasons, the Hawks surprised the country, riding one of the best offenses in the nation to a program record 31 wins, while going 11-7 in the SUNYAC to earn the No. 2 seed in the conference postseason tournament.
 
The Hawks made history in defeating No. 1 seeded SUNY Cortland on its home field twice, a feat SUNY New Paltz had never done, en route to capturing a conference title and an automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament where it won one game. Despite going into the season as reigning champs, the Hawks were ranked third behind Cortland and Oswego, respectively. Following SUNY New Paltz is Oneonta, Plattsburgh, Fredonia and Canton, respectively.
 
View the full SUNYAC Baseball Coach's Preseason Poll here.
 
Men's Lacrosse is looking for a bounce back season after missing the postseason in 2024 where it was a year removed for its first playoff appearance in 2023. The program is only in its sixth year of inception (which includes a shortened 2020 and 2021 season) and third-year coach Dylan Neisler brought in a big class of promising freshmen that will hopefully help improve the team's 5-10 overall and 1-6 conference record from a season ago.
 
Cortland was ranked at No. 1 in the SUNYAC Men's Lacrosse Coach's Preseason Poll, followed by Potsdam, Oswego, Oneonta, the Hawks, Plattsburgh, Morrisville and Canton.
 
View the full SUNYAC Men's Lacrosse Coach's Preseason Poll here.
 

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