SPARTANBURG, S.C. – The Georgia Southern Eagles have been voted the preseason favorite to win the 2014 Southern Conference softball championships in voting conducted by the league’s head coaches. UNCG sophomore Lindsay Thomas was named the preseason Player of the Year while Georgia Southern senior Sarah Purvis was named the preseason Pitcher of the Year for the second consecutive season.
Georgia Southern, last season’s tournament champion, tallied seven first-place votes for a total of 49 points. Purvis, last season’s SoCon Pitcher of the Year, was named first-team preseason all-conference, along with teammate Kourtny Thomas. The Eagles totaled three all-conference team selections.
UNCG earned 40 points to take second place. Thomas, who was last season’s Freshman of the Year, was one of five Spartans selected to the preseason all-conference teams, which were the most of any team. Appalachian State, last year’s regular-season champion, received the final first-place vote and 35 points to earn the No. 3 spot. The Mountaineers placed a pair of players on the all-conference squads.
Chattanooga was picked fourth, receiving 31 points, followed by Furman and Samford, who earned 24 and 20 points, respectively. Elon was picked to finished seventh with 14 points and Western Carolina earned 11 points to take the eighth spot.
Elon, Furman and Chattanooga each placed four players on the all-conference team, while Western Carolina and Samford each had one player make the preseason all-conference roster.
The season begins Thursday, Feb. 6, with Appalachian State competing in the Kajikawa Classic in Tempe, Ariz.
The 2014 Southern Conference Softball Championship is scheduled for May 7-10 in Greensboro, N.C.
Preseason Poll
| Team (First Place Votes) |
Points |
| 1. Georgia Southern (7) |
49 |
| 2. UNCG |
40 |
| 3. Appalachian State (1) |
35 |
| 4. Chattanooga |
31 |
| 5. Furman |
24 |
| 6. Samford |
20 |
| 7. Elon |
14 |
| 8. Western Carolina |
11 |
| |
|
Preseason Player of the Year
Lindsay Thomas, Catcher, UNCG
Preseason Pitcher of the Year
Sarah Purvis, Georgia Southern
Preseason First-Team All-Conference
| P |
Sarah Purvis, Georgia Southern |
| P |
Raeanne Hanks, UNCG |
| C |
Lindsay Thomas, UNCG |
| 1B |
Lindsay Loudermilk, Appalachian State |
| 2B |
Taylor Jenkins, Furman |
| SS |
Kourtny Thomas, Georgia Southern |
| 3B |
Sarah Beth Roberts, Chattanooga |
| OF |
Carleigh Nester, Elon |
| OF |
Allison Geiner, UNCG |
| OF |
Sam Taylor, Chattanooga |
| DP |
Katelyn Bedwell, UNCG |
| UT |
Emily Cameron, Elon |
Preseason Second-Team All-Conference
| P |
Lauren Collier, Furman |
| P |
Mollie Hanson, Samford |
| C |
Sarah Warnock, Appalachian State |
| 1B |
Taylor Sigmon, Western Carolina |
| 2B |
Lauren Oldham, Elon |
| SS |
Alyssa Taylor, Chattanooga |
| 3B |
Johanna Spencer, Elon |
| OF |
Ambree Muller, Furman |
| OF |
Nikki Legg, Furman |
| OF |
Tatiana Alcala |
| OF |
Stephanie Rieck, Chattanooga |
| DP |
Shelby Morrill, Georgia Southern |