NEW YORK- John Jay College has been selected first in the 2026 CUNY Athletic Conference softball preseason coaches' poll announced Wednesday morning. Coaches were not permitted to vote for their own teams.
The Bloodhounds won their third straight CUNYAC softball title in 2025 and finished 30-11. John Jay earned four of the six first place votes and totaled 23 points. Brooklyn received one first place vote and totaled 20 points, followed by Hunter (17) and Baruch (16). The Bearcats received the poll's other first place nod.
Lehman (9) and York (5) rounded out the poll.
The 2026 CUNYAC softball preseason Players to Watch and Pitchers to Watch were also announced.
The 2025 CUNYAC Softball Championship is set for Thursday, May 7 and Friday, May 8. The four-team double elimination tournament will be held on the Brooklyn College campus.
2026 CUNYAC Softball Preseason Poll
(first place votes in parentheses)
1) John Jay (4) - 23
2) Brooklyn (1) - 20
3) Hunter - 17
4) Baruch (1) - 16
5) Lehman - 9
6) York - 5
CUNYAC Softball Players to Watch
Mina Barriga, Baruch - A CUNYAC All-Star as a freshman in 2025, Barriga batted .320 with six doubles and 16 runs batted in.
Lianna Gonzalez, Brooklyn - In her first season as a Bulldog in 2025, Gonzalez batted .384 with a home run, 17 RBI and 31 runs scored. She slugged .596 overall.
Adriana Ramirez, Hunter - Ramirez ranked third on the Hawks in batting, hitting .376 overall with two home runs, 22 driven in and 16 runs scored. Her .448 on-base percentage was second on the squad.
Kendal Bryant, John Jay - A CUNYAC All-Star in her first season at John Jay, Bryant led the conference with her .479 batting average. She finished with 10 home runs and 43 RBI and walked 24 times for a .556 on-base percentage.
Patty Sanchez, Lehman - A member of the CUNYAC Sportsmanship Team last season, Sanchez batted .333 with a home run and 21 RBI. She also stole 11 bases.
Samantha Panameno, York - Panameno played in all 25 games for the Cardinals in 2025. She recorded 13 runs and 10 hits, including four hits in a doubleheader sweep of Yeshiva.
CUNYAC Softball Pitchers to Watch
Leilani Jimenez, Baruch - Jimenez made 16 appearances in the circle for the Bearcats, compiling a 5.00 ERA and 68 strikeouts in 84 innings. She tossed a no-hitter against Sarah Lawrence on March 1 last season.
Kureshma Dhanraj, Brooklyn - Dhanraj is expected to help fill the void after the graduation of Bulldog All-Star pitcher Danielle Guzzardi.
Grace Basil, Hunter - Basil finished with nine victories in the circle for the Hawks with 71 strikeouts in 111 innings and a 3.16 ERA in conference play.
Lindsay Ogden, John Jay - Ogden, the 2025 CUNYAC Pitcher of the Year and MVP of the CUNYAC Softball Championship, went 13-5 with a 2.55 ERA in 19 appearances, including an 0.78 ERA in conference play. She struck out 116 batters in 112.1 innings of work
Damaris Adames, Lehman - Adames appeared in five games in the circle for the Lightning, recording a season-high seven strikeouts against Brooklyn on April 16.
Simranjit Kaur, York - Kaur made five appearances in the circle in 2025, logging a season-best five innings against Lehman April 14.
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