ERIE, Pa. – The Penn State Behrend women's softball team has been selected to finish in the top spot in the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference (AMCC) along with Mt. Aloysius in the 2024 Preseason Coaches' Poll, announced on Tuesday.

The Lions were the 2023 AMCC Runner Ups and finished the season with a 23-19 overall record. Behrend also was named the Co-AMCC Regular-Season Champions with a 12-2 conference mark. The reigning AMCC Champions, Penn State Altoona, were picked to finish third.

Behrend has six all-conference players returning, including sophomore utility Meghan Petitte (Sugarcreek, OH/Garaway) and sophomore pitcher Abby Tingley (Union City, PA/Union City). Petitte landed on the All-Conference second team last season. She was first on the team in slugging percentage (.626) and runs (31). Petitte was also second in batting average (.385), RBIs (24) and OBP (.446).

Tingley also landed on the All-AMCC second team. She led the team in strikeouts (68), ERA (3.15), wins (10) and WHIP (1.33). Her wins ranked her third in the conference and her ERA was good for fifth. She finished conference play with a perfect 7-0 record.  

The AMCC Tournament kicks off on Thursday, May 9 and will conclude with the conference championship game on Saturday, May 11. All games throughout the tournament will be played at the site of the #1 seed. The AMCC champion will earn the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA tournament.