SPARTANBURG, S.C. – UNC Greensboro has been tabbed the favorite to claim the 2021 Southern Conference softball crown, as voted on by all seven of the league’s coaches. Chattanooga infielder Emily Coltharp nabbed preseason player of the year honors, while Samford senior pitcher Abby Swaney was named the preseason pitcher of the year.
 
Coaches were not allowed to vote for their own teams or players in the balloting.
 
UNCG collected three first-place votes and 31 points to take the top spot in the poll after winning three straight regular- season championships from 2017-19. The Spartans, who went 12-5 in SoCon play in 2019 and were 15-7 overall in the shortened 2020 season, placed six on the preseason all-conference teams, including first-team selections Delaney Cumbie, a catcher, infielder Samantha Lagrama and designated player Kayleigh Willis. Sophomore pitcher Morgan Scott, redshirt senior infielder Jasmine Palmer, and senior outfielder Makenna Matthijs were named to the second team.
 
Mercer garnered one first-place vote and totaled 29 points to claim second in the poll, just ahead of Chattanooga, the 2019 SoCon tournament champion, who snagged two first-place votes and finished with 28 points. The Bears, who finished 27-29 overall and 10-7 in league play in 2019, placed a league-best four players on the preseason first team. Infielder Danielle Castleberry, who was in the top five in the league in runs scored (20), hits (31), doubles (seven), batting average (.369) and on-base percentage (.448), is joined by senior outfielders Allie Jones and Micayla Rood and designated player Kylie Helm. Pitcher Amber Byrd was named to the second team.
 
Coltharp, the 2019 SoCon Freshman of the Year, was named to the first team for Chattanooga, who was 37-17 on the season and 11-7 in SoCon play in 2019, while outfielder Hayleigh Weissenbach was honored on the second team. Coltharp led the league in batting average (.415) and on base percentage (.519) in the shortened 2020 after hitting .348 as a freshman.
 
Samford came in fourth with 22 points. The Bulldogs, who amassed a 23-31 overall record and 11-7 mark in SoCon play in 2019, placed Swaney, the preseason pitcher of the year, and infielder Whitney Hinton on the first team, while infielder Timberlyn Shurbutt was honored on the second team. Swaney totaled an ERA of 2.02 in her freshman campaign in 2020, while Hinton, a 2019 second team all-conference selection, was second in the league in RBIs (45), and third in home runs (15) and total bases (104) in 2019.
 
ETSU checks in at fifth with 16 points, tying Mercer for the second-most preseason all-conference selections behind UNCG. Redshirt senior pitcher Kelly Schmidt and outfielder Kelly Warren were recognized on the all-conference first team, while catcher Kylie Toler, infielder Julia Fritz and outfielder Andrea Sarhatt were named to the second team.
 
Furman came in sixth with 14 points and one first-place vote, while Western Carolina rounded out the poll with seven points. Paladins infielder Natalie Morgan and designated player Emily Bartlett earned spots on the preseason all-conference second team.

The 2021 softball season begins on Feb. 12 when Furman, UNCG, Samford, Chattanooga and Western Carolina get underway. ETSU and Mercer kick off their campaigns the next day.  
 
Preseason Poll
Team (First-Place Votes)          Points

1. UNCG (3)	31
2. Mercer (1)	29
3. Chattanooga (2)	28
4. Samford	22
5. ETSU	16
6. Furman (1)	14
7. Western Carolina	7

Preseason Player of the Year
Emily Coltharp, Chattanooga, Jr., IF
 
Preseason Pitcher of the Year
Abby Swaney, Samford, R-Fr.
 
Preseason First-Team All-SoCon
P       Kelly Schmidt, ETSU, R-Sr.
P       Abby Swaney, Samford, R-Fr.
C       Delaney Cumbie, UNCG, Jr.
IF      Danielle Castleberry, Mercer, R-Sr.
IF       Samantha Lagrama, UNCG, Jr.
IF      Whitney Hinton, Samford, R-Sr.
IF      Emily Coltharp, Chattanooga, Jr.
OF     Kelly Warren, ETSU, Sr.
OF     Allie Jones, Mercer, Sr.
OF     Micayla Rood, Mercer, Sr.
DP    Kayleigh Willis, UNCG, R-Sr.
DP     Kylie Helm, Mercer, So.
 
Preseason Second-Team All-SoCon
P       Amber Byrd, Mercer, Sr.
P       Morgan Scott, UNCG, So.
C       Kylie Toler, ETSU, R-Sr.
IF      Julia Fritz, ETSU, Sr.
IF      Natalie Morgan, Furman, Jr.
IF      Timberlyn Shurbutt, Samford, R-Jr.
IF      Jasmine Palmer, UNCG, R-Sr.
OF     Andrea Sarhatt, ETSU, Jr.
OF     Makenna Matthijs, UNCG, Sr.
OF     Hayleigh Weissenbach, Chattanooga, R-Sr.
DP    Emily Bartlett, Furman, Jr.