Thursday, January 30, 2014

Summit League Softball Preseason Poll

ELMHURST, Ill. – Two-time defending regular season champion, North Dakota State was tabbed as the favorite to win the 2014 Summit League Softball Championship in a poll of the league's seven head coaches.

The Bison tallied 33 total points and four first-place votes after winning their second-consecutive regular season title and third in the last six years.

NDSU returns 13 players from last season's team that went 33-16 and 17-1 in league play, including first team all-league honoree Jenina Ortega and second team selections Brandi Enriquez, Amanda Grable and Cheyenne Garcia.

Omaha was picked second and received one first-place vote. The Mavericks welcome back a quartet of all-league members, including the 2013 Summit League Freshman of the Year Campbell Ditto. Joining Ditto are Dana Elsasser, Amber Lutmer and Allie Matthewson.

Fort Wayne, the 2013 Summit League Tournament champion, was tabbed third and collected two first-place votes. The Mastodons return four all-league performers in Alex Bousquet, Ashleigh Bousquet, Larissa Franklin and Miranda Kramer.

South Dakota and Western Illinois tied for fourth while IUPUI and South Dakota State rounded out the poll at sixth and seventh.

The Bison open the 2014 season Feb. 7-8 at the Auburn Plainsman Invitational in Auburn, Ala.

 
2014 Summit League Softball Preseason Poll
Place
Team
Points (1st)
2013 Record
1
North Dakota State
33 (4)
33-16 (17-1 SL)
2
Omaha
31 (1)
36-7 (14-3 SL)
3
Fort Wayne
29 (2)
34-16 (12-4 SL)
4
South Dakota
18
29-20 (12-7 SL)

Western Illinois
18
14-23 (8-14 SL)
6
IUPUI
12
18-31 (7-16 SL)
7
South Dakota State
6
16-30 (6-17 SL)











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