Morningside College, champions of the Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) regular season in 2011, is the coaches' choice to win the 2012 GPAC softball title. The Mustangs totaled 100 points and ten first place votes in the preseason poll. Morningside posted a 46-11 record last spring. Nebraska Wesleyan is picked second with 85 points and the final first place vote. Concordia and Doane were picked third and fourth with 76 and 67 points respectively.
Morningside won the 2011 GPAC Tournament title in Sioux City and joined Midland at the NAIA National Softball Championship in Gulf Shores, Alabama.
The GPAC softball season will consist of 20 games (10 doubleheaders) and conclude with the GPAC Postseason Tournament on May 3-5 at the Smith Softball Complex in Hastings, Nebraska.
Points were assigned on a 10-1 basis and coaches' could not vote for their own team.
Here is the complete GPAC Softball 2012 preseason coaches' poll:
Team | Points | First Place Votes |
1. Morningside | 100 | 10 |
2. Nebraska Wesleyan | 85 | 1 |
3. Concordia | 76 | |
4. Doane | 67 | |
5. Dordt | 66 | |
6. Midland | 53 | |
7. Northwestern | 50 | |
8. Hastings | 47 | |
9. Mount Marty | 26 | |
10. Briar Cliff | 19 | |
11. Dakota Wesleyan | 16 |
| Doane at | 3rd of 62 |
| NAIA Championships | |
| Doane at | 5th of 60 |
| NAIA Championships | |
| Doane at | No Team Score |
| NAIA Championships | |
| Doane at | No Team Score |
| NAIA Championships | |
| Doane | 27th of 27 |
| NAIA Championship - 3rd Round (Wilderness Ridge GC) | |
| Doane at | No Team Score |
| NAIA Championships | |
| Hastings at | 45th of 60 |
| NAIA Outdoor Championships | |
| Doane at | No Team Score |
| NAIA Championships | |
| Hastings at | 12th of 60 |
| NAIA Outdoor Championships | |
| Doane | 27th of 27 |
| NAIA Championship - 2nd Round (Wilderness Ridge GC) | |
| Doane | 27th of 27 |
| NAIA Championship - 1st Round (Wilderness Ridge GC) | |
| Northwestern at | 17th of 28 |
| NAIA Championship - Final Round (Creekside Golf Club) | |
| Northwestern at | 17th of 28 |
| NAIA Championship - 3rd Round (Creekside Golf Club) | |
| Northwestern at | 9th of 28 |
| NAIA Championship - 2nd Round (Creekside Golf Club) | |
| Northwestern at | 6th of 28 |
| NAIA Championship - 1st Round (Creekside Golf Club) | |
| (RV) Central Methodist College vs | 9 |
| (RV) Morningside | 4 |
| NAIA Softball National Championship Opening Round (Claremore, Okla.) (Elimination Game) | |
| Hastings at | 2 |
| (17) Freed-Hardeman | 9 |
| NAIA Softball National Championship Opening Round - Elim. Game | |
| Doane vs | 0 |
| (10) Concordia University | 9 |
| NAIA National Championships | |
| (13) Concordia University vs | 8 |
| (25) Nebraska Wesleyan | 1 |
| NAIA National Championship (Mobile, Ala.) | |
| Hastings vs | 1 |
| (4) Oklahoma City University | 6 |
| NAIA Softball National Championship Opening Round | |
| Midland vs | 7:30pm |
| University of Great Falls | CST |
| Midland vs | 11:00am |
| University of Great Falls | CST |
| Carroll College Tournament | |
| Midland vs | 3:00pm |
| Montana State University-Northern | CST |
| Carroll College Tournament | |
| Midland vs | 9:00am |
| University of Great Falls | CST |
| Iowa Central CC at | 1:00pm |
| Midland | CST |
| Midland vs | 10:00am |
| Montana Tech of the Univ of Montana | CST |
| Carroll College Tournament | |
| Midland at | 2:00pm |
| Carroll College | CST |
| Carroll College Tournament | |
| Hastings at | 10:30am |
| Regis University | CST |
| Mount Mercy University at | 3:30pm |
| Dordt | CST |
| Concordia vs | 8:00am |
| Northwood University | CST |
| Montreat College Volley in the Mountains | |
| Concordia vs | 12:00pm |
| College of Coastal Georgia | CST |
| Montreat College Volley in the Mountains | |
| Dickinson State University vs | 12:30pm |
| Hastings | CST |
| Red Raider Classic | |
| Jamestown College vs | 12:30pm |
| Doane | CST |
| Red Raider Classic | |
| Baker University vs | 2:30pm |
| Dordt | CST |
| Northwestern Classic | |
| Morningside vs | 2:30pm |
| Valley City State University | CST |
| Northwestern Red Raider Classic | |
| Midland vs | 4:00pm |
| Indiana Wesleyan University | CST |
| Grand View University Tournament | |
| Tabor College vs | 4:30pm |
| Hastings | CST |
| Red Raider Classic | |
| Baker University vs | 6:30pm |
| Doane | CST |
| Red Raider Classic | |
| Morningside vs | 6:30pm |
| Jamestown College | CST |
| Northwestern Red Raider Classic | |
| Midland vs | 8:00pm |
| Taylor University | CST |
| Grand View University Tournament | |
