RICHARDSON, Texas – The University of Texas at Tyler is picked to win the 2014 American Southwest Conference softball regular season title following a vote of the league's head coaches, sports information directors and media members and announced Thursday (Jan. 23) by the conference office.
Texas-Tyler received 25 of a possible 35 first-place votes and collected 401 points in the preseason poll. In 2013 head coach Mike Reed led the Patriots on a historic campaign, collecting a league record 47 wins and a third appearance in the NCAA Division III National Finals. Texas-Tyler returns nine players from last year’s team, including three all-conference selections.
Defending ASC champion
East Texas Baptist was picked second with 389 points and received eight first-place votes.
Mary Hardin-Baylor came in third with 315 points and had one first-place vote and
Louisiana College was picked fourth with 305 points and received one first-place vote.
Texas-Dallas was picked fifth (248) and
Howard Payne (225) was tabbed sixth to round out the top half of the poll.
Concordia Texas (7th, 191),
Hardin-Simmons (8th, 184),
LeTourneau (9th, 174),
Mississippi College (10th, 144),
Ozarks (11th, 78) and
Sul Ross State (12th, 58) complete the preseason softball poll.
In addition to the preseason poll a total of 33 players – 27 position and six pitchers – were named to the ASC Softball Players to Watch list by the head coaches. Among the players are 18 returning all-conference selections, including two National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) All-Americans – Texas-Tyler sophomore pitcher
Kelsie Batten (Huntington, Texas/Huntington HS) and East Texas Baptist senior first baseman
Lacy Liles (Elysian Fields, Texas/Elysian Fields HS).
The 2013 East Division Pitcher of the Year, Batten led the league in wins (25), ERA (1.44), opponent batting average (.187) and innings pitched (189.2). Liles was one of the league’s best threats at the plate with top-five marks in several conference categories including tied for first in RBI (47), second in total bases (107) and third in hits (60) and slugging percentage (.743).
Other notable returning players include Mary Hardin-Baylor sophomore outfielder
Kourtney Bevers (Liberty Hill, Texas/Liberty Hill HS), Texas-Dallas junior utility player
Avery McHugh (Uvalde, Texas/Uvalde HS) and Hardin-Simmons senior second baseman
Mackenzie Clay (Abilene, Texas/Wylie HS).
The 2013 West Division Freshman of the Year Bevers hit .331, drove in 23 runs on 41 hits and was one of just four league freshman named first-team all-conference. McHugh was first-team all-conference in 2013 after hitting a fourth-ranked slugging percentage (.721) and was fifth in total bases (93) and doubles (14). Clay received second-team honors after posting top five rankings in four different categories including second in batting average (.442), on-base percentage (.508) and stolen bases (24).
The 2014 softball season is the 16th for ASC softball. It will mark the return to a single division format since the inaugural 1999 season.
ASC Softball Preseason Poll
|
Rank |
Team (1st place votes) |
Points |
2013 Record |
|
1. |
Texas-Tyler (25) |
401 |
47-6, 23-1 ASC |
|
2. |
East Texas Baptist (8) |
389 |
37-12, 18-6 ASC |
|
3. |
Mary Hardin-Baylor (1) |
315 |
29-16, 17-7 ASC |
|
4. |
Louisiana College (1) |
305 |
26-15, 13-11 ASC |
|
5. |
Texas-Dallas |
248 |
23-18, 12-12 ASC |
|
6. |
Howard Payne |
225 |
21-21, 15-9 ASC |
|
7. |
Concordia Texas |
191 |
25-15, 14-10 ASC |
|
8. |
Hardin-Simmons |
184 |
12-25, 10-14 ASC |
|
9. |
LeTourneau |
174 |
21-19, 8-16 ASC |
|
10. |
Mississippi College* |
144 |
8-31, 6-18 ASC |
|
11. |
Ozarks |
78 |
14-26, 4-20 ASC |
|
12. |
Sul Ross State |
58 |
9-30, 4-20 ASC |
*Ineligible for ASC Championship Tournament due to reclassifying as Division II member
2014 ASC Softball Preseason Players to Watch
Players selected by each ASC head coach
|
Name |
Cl. |
Pos. |
School |
|
Jessica Borrego |
So. |
C |
Concordia Texas |
|
Hanna Contreras |
Fr. |
3B |
Concordia Texas |
|
Jenna Franz |
Fr. |
RHP |
Concordia Texas |
|
Lacy Liles |
Sr. |
1B |
East Texas Baptist |
|
Shelby Parker |
Sr. |
RHP |
East Texas Baptist |
|
Alyssa Romero |
Sr. |
OF |
East Texas Baptist |
|
Mackenzie Clay |
Sr. |
2B |
Hardin-Simmons |
|
Sydnie Darden |
So. |
CF |
Hardin-Simmons |
|
Emily Hardaway |
Fr. |
RHP |
Hardin-Simmons |
|
Whitney Judd |
Fr. |
OF |
LeTourneau |
|
Kaylee Pritchett |
Sr. |
P/INF |
LeTourneau |
|
Anna Winter |
Sr. |
INF |
LeTourneau |
|
Courtney Ivey |
Jr. |
C |
Louisiana College |
|
Stephanie Jaeger |
Sr. |
2B |
Louisiana College |
|
Megan Pearson |
Sr. |
SS |
Louisiana College |
|
Kourtney Bevers |
So. |
CF |
Mary Hardin-Baylor |
|
Victoria Gomez |
Sr. |
3B |
Mary Hardin-Baylor |
|
Chandler Henson |
Sr. |
C |
Mary Hardin-Baylor |
|
Macey Lee |
Jr. |
SS |
Mississippi College |
|
Shay Mickens |
Jr. |
OF |
Mississippi College |
|
Brooke Smitherman |
Jr. |
1B |
Mississippi College |
|
Molly Bowman |
Sr. |
OF |
Ozarks |
|
Haley McKee |
So. |
RHP |
Ozarks |
|
Shawnee Sorensen |
Jr. |
3B |
Ozarks |
|
Amanda Garza |
Jr. |
INF |
Sul Ross State |
|
Maile Hoyt |
Jr. |
1B |
Sul Ross State |
|
Keri McShan |
So. |
LHP |
Sul Ross State |
|
Jordan Bratcher |
Jr. |
OF |
Texas-Dallas |
|
Avery McHugh |
Jr. |
UT |
Texas-Dallas |
|
Robin Thomas |
So. |
INF |
Texas-Dallas |
|
Kelsie Batten |
So. |
RHP |
Texas-Tyler |
|
Vanessa Carrizales |
So. |
UT |
Texas-Tyler |
|
Lauren Robenalt |
Sr. |
OF |
Texas-Tyler |