Marietta College’s Jake Singleton (1) goes up for a jumper during a college basketball game against John Carroll last season at Ban Johnson Arena.(Photo by Jay W. Bennett)

WESTERVILLE — The Marietta College men’s basketball team was picked second in the Ohio Athletic Conference preseason poll in voting by the conference coaches. The Pioneers received one first place vote and will sit a notch below top-rated Mount Union in the OAC Preseason Poll announced Friday by the league office.

“We are flattered to be picked preseason second in the OAC, one of the best conferences in the country,” said new Marietta head coach Andy Bucheit. “However, it’s never about preseason rankings or how you start the season. Our hope is that the players, coaches, and everyone associated with our program will work relentlessly to ensure we finish the season the right way.”

Mount Union received eight first place votes and led the poll with 64 total points. The Pioneers got the other first-place vote and totaled 53 points in the poll.

Muskingum is projected to finish third, earning 47 points. Otterbein was fourth with 44 points, while Baldwin Wallace was fifth with 34 points.

The bottom four includes Capital in sixth place with 31 points, Heidelberg in seventh place with 22 points, Ohio Northern in eighth place with 19 points, and Wilmington College in ninth with 10 points.

Marietta will look improve upon a 11-14 regular season record, including a 5-13 record in the OAC, last year.

They will open the 2025-26 campaign at the Ursinus Bear Bash Tip-Off Tournament in Collegeville, Pennsylvania. The Pioneers will play Misericordia University on Friday, Nov. 7 at 5:30 p.m. If they win, they will battle the winner of the Elmira/Ursinus matchup on Saturday, Nov. 8 at 3 p.m. If they fall on Friday, the Pioneers will play in the consolation game at 1 p.m. on Saturday.

“Win today will always be our focus,” concluded Coach Bucheit. “Not what’s behind us or a couple days ahead of us. We have been proud of our group so far; they’ve embodied this mindset.”

The complete poll is below. First place votes are in parenthesis.

OAC Preseason Coaches Poll:

1. Mount Union (8) — 64

2. Marietta (1) — 53

3. Muskingum — 47

4. Otterbein — 44

5. Baldwin Wallace — 34

6. Capital — 31

7. Heidelberg — 22

8. Ohio Northern — 19

9. Wilmington — 10

WOMEN

The Marietta College women’s basketball team was picked to finish sixth in the Ohio Athletic Conference Preseason Poll announced Thursday by the conference office.

Last year’s OAC regular season and tournament champions, Baldwin Wallace, received eight first place votes, totaling 64 points, to receive the top spot in the poll. Ohio Northern was second with 47 points.

Mount Union received the other first place vote and collected 44 points to get third place.

Otterbein received 43 points in the poll to put them in fourth place. Capital was close behind with 42 points to give them fifth place. The Pioneers garnered 39 points in the very close poll to place them sixth.

The bottom three includes Muskingum (20 points), Wilmington (15 points), and Heidelberg with 10 points.

“While being picked sixth in the preseason isn’t the result we hoped for, it fuels our drive to get better each day,” said Marietta College head coach Jenna Andersen. “We’re embracing the challenge, staying focused, and committed to proving ourselves throughout the season. We are looking to prove a lot of people wrong this year.”

Last season the Pioneers went 15-11 overall and 9-9 in the Ohio Athletic Conference, giving them the number five seed in the OAC tournament. Marietta was then knocked off by Capital in the quarterfinal round to end the season.

Marietta opens the season at home against Bethany College on Saturday, Nov. 8 with tipoff scheduled for 5:30 p.m.

The complete poll is below. First-place votes are in parenthesis.

OAC Preseason Coaches Poll:

1. Baldwin Wallace (8) — 64

2. Ohio Northern — 47

3. Mount Union (1) — 44

4. Otterbein — 43

5. Capital — 42

6. Marietta — 39

7. Muskingum — 20

8. Wilmington — 15

9. Heidelberg — 10