SPARTANBURG, S.C. ? The Chattanooga Lady Mocs have been tabbed the preseason favorite to win their third straight Southern Conference regular season softball championship, the conference office announced Thursday along with a 12-member Preseason All-Conference first and second team. Voting was done by the league’s head softball coaches, who were not allowed to vote for their own team or players.
The Lady Mocs grabbed eight of the nine possible first-place votes and 64 total points to claim the No. 1 spot after winning the SoCon regular season and tournament titles a season ago. Entering the league’s 16th season of softball, UTC has won 10 regular season and nine tournament titles.
UTC is led by two-time Coach of the Year Frank Reed and five preseason all-SoCon selections including two-time Pitcher of the Year and first team selection, Brooke Loudermilk. Also making the first team for the Lady Mocs is last season’s Freshman of the Year, first baseman Michelle Fuzzard.
Coming in behind UTC at the No. 2 spot is College of Charleston, which has two players on the all-conference first team.
Claiming the other first place vote and the No. 3 spot is Elon, which picked up a pair of second-team selections.
Claiming the most members on the All-Conference teams is No. 4 Georgia Southern. The Eagles have six players on the team, including reigning Player of the Year, third baseman Robyne Siliga. GSU is coming off a runner-up finish during the conference regular season and tournament in 2008.
No. 5 UNC Greensboro has one player on the teams, first-team pitcher Hannah Angel, while SoCon newcomer Samford is picked No. 6 with two players earning preseason All-SoCon accolades. The Bulldogs finished sixth last season in the Ohio Valley Conference.
Rounding out the preseason poll is No. 7 Furman, which has three players named, No. 8 Appalachian State, with one player selected, and No. 9 Western Carolina, with a pair of second-teamers.
The season gets underway next Thursday, Feb. 5 as Mississippi Valley State travels to SoCon newcomer Samford in a 5 p.m. ET contest. The 2009 Southern Conference Softball Championship is scheduled to be played in Chattanooga, Tenn., May 6-9.
Preseason Poll (1st Votes) Total Points
1. Chattanooga (8) 64
2. College of Charleston 55
3. Elon (1) 48
4. Georgia Southern 37
5. UNC Greensboro 34
6. Samford 29
7. Furman 24
8. Appalachian State 19
9. Western Carolina 14
First Team Preseason All-Southern Conference
P - Brooke Loudermilk ? Chattanooga
P - Hannah Angel ? UNC Greensboro
C ? Jenny Side ? Georgia Southern
1B ? Michelle Fuzzard ? Chattanooga
2B ? Nina Iduate ? Georgia Southern
SS ? Amanda Hall ? Georgia Southern
3B ? Robyne Siliga ? Georgia Southern
OF ? Tiffany Harmon ? College of Charleston
OF ? Laci Upchurch ? Chattanooga
OF ? Jessica Owens ? Samford
DP ? Shannon Howard ? College of Charleston
UT ? Katie Boyd ? Appalachian State
Second Team Preseason All-Southern Conference
P ? Megen Smith ? Georgia Southern
P ? Kandice Irwin ? Chattanooga
C ? Jaimie Rao ? Elon
1B ? Brythe Blankenship ? Furman
2B ? Jacqueline Gonzalez ? Elon
SS ? Stephanie Cushing ? Furman
3B ? Toni Hutchison ? Chattanooga
OF ? Michelle Beasley ? Georgia Southern
OF ? Meredith Mielke ? Furman
OF ? Aaren Fisher ? Samford
DP ? Amber Hawkins ? Western Carolina
UT ? Mollie Fowler ? Western Carolina