CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. --- Chattanooga senior hurler Taylor Long earned a spot on the Preseason All-Southern Conference Team and the Mocs were picked to finish second, the league office announced today.
 
Long posted a 12-3 record in 2025 with nine complete games and four shutouts along with two saves. She was second in the conference in strikeouts with 160. She had a .206 opponent batting average and a 2.56 ERA.
 
The Mocs claimed their 16^th regular season title in 2025 with a 41-15 overall record and was 15-5 in conference play.
 
Chattanooga tied with Samford in the poll with 37 points and one first place vote. UNCG picked up four first place votes and 43 points as the preseason favorite among the coaches after finishing second in the regular season. Samford picked up two first place votes.
 
Wofford is fourth in the poll followed by Mercer, Western Carolina (1), ETSU and Furman.
 
Samford's Olivia Shaw is the Preseason Player of the Year and Margaret Axelson of Wofford in the favorite for Pitcher of the Year.
 
Samford leads the league with four selected to the All-Conference First Team, UNC Greensboro and Western Carolina have two apiece  with Chattanooga, Wofford and Furman with one apiece.
 
The 2026 season gets started on the road at the Troy Trojan Classic in Troy, Ala., Friday, Feb. 6. The Mocs will open home play with the Chattanooga Challenge (Feb. 13-15) and the Frost Classic (Feb. 20-22).
 
Tickets are on sale now online at GoMocs.com and the McKenzie Arena box office. Single-game tickets are also available on game day at the Frost Stadium ticket booth one hour prior to first pitch. Contact the UTC box office for group sales.
 
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Preseason Poll
Team (First-Place Votes) Points

1. UNCG (4)	43
2. Samford (2)	37
Chattanooga (1)	37
4. Wofford	32
5. Mercer	26
6. Western Carolina (1)	24
7. ETSU	17
8. Furman	8

Preseason Player of the Year
Olivia Shaw, Samford, Jr., IF
 
Preseason Pitcher of the Year
Margaret Axelson, Wofford, Sr.
 
Preseason First-Team All-SoCon
P          Taylor Long, Chattanooga
P          Margaret Axelson, Wofford
C          Katie Campbell, Samford
IF         Macy Michael, UNCG
IF         Olivia Shaw, Samford
IF         Katie Campbell, Samford
IF         Lily Bell, Western Carolina
OF       Kaylyn Belfield, UNCG
OF       Joi Hubbard, Samford
OF       Sydney Dirks, Western Carolina
DP       Sylvia Burroughs, Furman
 
Preseason Second-Team All-SoCon
P          Salem Ward, UNCG
P          Abby Greenwood, Wofford
C          Betsy Eatmon, UNCG
IF         Grace Jones, Mercer
IF         Hadley Gardner, UNCG
IF         Maya McPherson, Western Carolina
IF         Brianna Stanley, Wofford
OF       Samantha Beck, UNCG
OF       Rylee Butler, Western Carolina
OF       Rivers Sampson, Wofford
DP       Sydney Dirks, Western Carolina