Sioux City, Iowa –Morningside totaled 72 points and is the preseason coaches’ selection to win the 2018 Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) Softball Championship. The Mustangs tallied seven first place votes. Concordia was picked to finish second with 68 points. Hastings (2), Dordt and Midland all received first place votes.
Morningside posted a 40-12 record last spring while posting a 17-3 record in the GPAC winning the regular season title. Hastings won the GPAC tournament championship last year, defeating Morningside in three games.
After second place Concordia, Hastings was tabbed third by the coaches with 66 points while Dordt (55 points) and Midland (49 points) were picked fourth and fifth respectively, along with Northwestern is tied for sixth with Dakota Wesleyan.
The GPAC softball season will consist of 20 games (10 doubleheaders) and conclude with the GPAC Postseason Tournament featuring two four-team tournaments (Seeds 1,4,5,8 and Seeds 2,3,6,7) (double elimination) on May 3-5 at the sites of the top two seeds. Then the two tournament winners will play on Monday, May 7, in the Cypress Risk Management GPAC Championship (three game series) at the highest remaining seed.
Points were awarded on an 10-1 basis and coaches’ could not vote for their own team.
| Place | School | Points | First Place Votes |
| 1. | Morningside | 72 | 7 |
| 2. | Concordia | 68 | |
| 3. | Hastings | 66 | 2 |
| 4. | Dordt | 55 | 1 |
| 5. | Midland | 49 | 1 |
| 6t. | Northwestern | 42 | |
| 6t. | Dakota Wesleyan | 42 | |
| 8t. | College of Saint Mary | 38 | |
| 8t. | Doane | 38 | |
| 10. | Mount Marty | 16 | |
| 11. | Briar Cliff | 9 |
