HAVERFORD, Pa. — The Haverford College softball team has been selected seventh in the annual Centennial Conference preseason poll, the league office announced Wednesday afternoon. Haverford received 20 total points in the overall balloting.
The Fords have a strong foundation to build upon following a 2025 campaign that featured one of the most productive offenses in the conference. The Scarlet and Black paced the Centennial Conference with 14 home runs while hitting .300 as a team, the third-highest average in the league. Guiding the Fords will be head coach Kate Gatti, who enters her ninth season at the helm.
Defending champion Swarthmore topped the Centennial Conference Preseason Poll, garnering eight first-place votes and 64 total voting points. Gettysburg secured the second spot with one first-place vote and 56 total voting points, while Muhlenberg slotted into third with 50 total voting points. Ursinus was selected fourth with 41 points, and Washington College rounded out the top five with 31 total voting points. Dickinson was voted sixth with 26 total voting points, followed by Haverford in seventh with 20 total voting points. Franklin & Marshall was chosen eighth with 19 total voting points, while McDaniel completed the poll with 13 total voting points.
Returning for her sophomore season is 2025 NFCA Third Team All-Region V selection Kamaha'o Bode. Bode put together a tremendous first year with the Scarlet and Black, quickly establishing herself as one of the most dangerous hitters in the Centennial Conference. She finished the regular season leading the conference in slugging percentage (.676) and home runs (eight), showcasing remarkable power and poise at the plate. Her ability to drive in runs was equally impressive, as she ranked fifth in the conference with 31 RBI. Bode hit .343 across 102 at-bats, tallying 35 hits, including six doubles and two triples, while drawing 14 walks against just 21 strikeouts. A consistent presence in the heart of the lineup, she posted multiple multi-hit and multi-RBI performances, including a 3-for-4, three-RBI outing against Rosemont and a two-home run game versus Immaculata.
Lauren Lamme also returns to the Fords following an impressive rookie campaign in the circle. A Centennial Conference Pitcher of the Week selection, Lamme appeared in 19 games with 15 starts during her first collegiate season. She compiled a 7-4 record while leading the team in wins (seven), ERA (3.00), strikeouts (50), innings pitched (81.2), and complete games (4). Lamme delivered back-to-back complete-game shutouts against Widener (3/4) and Rosemont (3/18) and added complete-game victories at Ursinus (4/1) and Washington College (4/10), providing a steady presence at the front of the rotation.
Softball will open the 2026 campaign with two doubleheaders at Class of '95 Field, beginning with a matchup against Arcadia on Saturday, February 28, at 12 p.m. and 2 p.m., before hosting Widener on Tuesday, March 3, at 2 p.m. and 4 p.m.
