Sixth-year Head Coach Niki (Cognigni) Pecora's Pitt-Johnstown softball team has been picked to finish sixth in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Western Division when the 2021 Preseason Coaches' Poll was released on Friday.

Under the new format that takes place this season in PSAC softball, the league is split into two divisions, the East and the West.  No. 23 West Chester University earned the top spot in the East, while Gannon University is the favorite in the Western Division.

The East consists of Bloomsburg University, East Stroudsburg University, Kutztown University, Lock Haven University, Mansfield University, Millersville University, Shepherd University, Shippensburg University and West Chester.
 
The West is made up of California University of Pennsylvania, Clarion University, Edinboro University, Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Mercyhurst University, Pitt- Johnstown, Seton Hill University, Slippery Rock University and Gannon.

Pitt-Johnstown was 5-5 prior to the season being halted by COVID-19 in 2020, the Mountain Cats posted a program-best 19 overall victories and nine PSAC Divisional victories in 2019.  Pitt-Johnstown returns 14 position players, including 2019 First-Team All-PSAC Central Division first baseman Kristie Radvan and 2019 All-PSAC Central At-Large selection Jade Stubblefield.  In addition, the Mountain Cats also return their top-three starting pitchers in Kristen Coffay, Alyssa Hileman, and Ashley Pagliei.

Gannon snagged the top spot in the West with five of the nine possible first-place votes. The Golden Knights have six seniors on their roster and one returning graduate student.  West Chester, the lone PSAC team ranked in the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Preseason Poll, received six of the nine possible first-place votes in the East.