Preseason OVC Poll
BRENTWOOD, Tenn. – Eastern Kentucky University’s softball team was picked to finish sixth this season in the preseason Ohio Valley Conference coaches poll. The Colonels tied Eastern Illinois with 36 points.
EKU will begin its 2010 schedule at the Campus Suites Spartan Classic hosted by the University of South Carolina Upstate in Spartanburg, S.C. Eastern will face Liberty on Feb. 19. The next day, the Colonels will take on Maryland-Baltimore County and USC Upstate. The event ends on Feb. 21 with championship and consolation games.
The Colonels will try to rebound from just their third conference losing season ever in 2010. Eastern finished last season17-27 overall and 8-13 in the Ohio Valley Conference. The only other times EKU had losing records in conference play were 1993, the first season of the program’s existence, and 2005. The team also missed the OVC tournament for the first time ever.
Five position players, the starting designated hitter and two pitchers return from last season’s team. They’ll be joined by two other returning letter winners and eight newcomers.
Among the returning starters is three-time All-OVC selection
Shyenne Hussey. The third baseman led the team and finished sixth in the conference with a .349 batting average and had the second highest on-base percentage (.471) in the OVC. She belted six home runs and drove in 29 runs. Sophomore
Diane Gallagher returns after earning first team all-conference honors as a freshman. She was also selected to the OVC All-Newcomer team. Gallagher finished second in the OVC with 24 stolen bases and was not thrown out attempting to steal all season. She ranked 27th in the nation with an average of 0.55 stolen bases per game.
Jacksonville State was picked to repeat as conference champions. Tennessee-Martin earned two first place votes and was picked second. Southeast Missouri and Tennessee Tech each received 60 points to tie for third place. Morehead State was picked fifth followed by EIU and the Colonels. Murray State, Tennessee State and Austin Peay rounded out the poll.