LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The University of North Georgia (UNG) softball team was picked sixth in the preseason NFCA/GoRout DII Top 25 Coaches Poll, it was announced Tuesday.
North Georgia finished the 2025 campaign with a 48-16 record under Brooke O'Hair in her first season as head coach. The Nighthawks went 19-5 in Peach Belt Conference play and were named regular-season conference champions. North Georgia placed second in the PBC Tournament before its season concluded with an appearance in the NCAA Division II Championship.

The Nighthawks open the 2026 season at the Gulf Shores Invitational from Jan. 31-Feb. 1.

The NCAA Division II softball season opens Friday, Jan. 30, with opening weekend featuring three Top 25 matchups. No. 2 Tampa will host No. 25 Oklahoma Christian in a doubleheader. At the Gulf Shores Invitational, No. 12 Auburn Montgomery will face No. 18 Rogers State and No. 20 Saint Leo.

The 2026 NFCA/GoRout Division II Top 25 Coaches Poll is voted on by the NFCA Division II Top 25 Poll Committee, which consists of 16 NCAA Division II head coaches, with two representing each of the NCAA's eight regions. The first regular-season poll will be announced Tuesday, Feb. 10, and every Tuesday at noon ET throughout the 2026 season.