Softball Ranked #1 in Preseason Poll
Courtesy NJCAA
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Following the program’s first ever national championship season,
Louisiana State University - Eunice will start off the 2012 season as the No. 1 ranked team in the NJCAA Division II softball preseason poll that was released today. Following the Bengals in the rankings are No. 2
Kankakee Community College (Ill.), No. 3
South Mountain Community College (Ariz.) and No. 4
Iowa Central Community College.
Muskegon Community College (Mich.) rounds out the top of the poll at No. 5.
In only their second-ever trip to the Division II World Series,
LSU-Eunice walked away with the national championship last season. The Bengals bring back nine players from their 2011 squad, including sophomore pitcher Tina Schulz. A dual-threat, Schulz had a 24-4 record pitching last season while hitting 11 home runs and batting in 56 runs. LSU-Eunice starts their quest to repeat Saturday when they host San Jacinto-South (Texas) and Heartland CC (Ill.) in a double-header.
Having qualified for every Division II World Series since its inaugural year in 2000,
Kankakee is primed to make their 13
th-straight appearance in the national tournament. Despite participating in a Division II-record 12 World Series’, the Cavaliers have yet to clinch the program’s first national championship. Kankakee returns five starters from last season including sophomore center fielder Alli Lewis and sophomore shortstop Olivia Roback who both sported batting averages above .400 in 2011. The Cavaliers will start this season off at a Division I opponent when they travel to Rend Lake (Ill.) March 2.
South Mountain will shoot for its third-straight Division II World Series appearance as the reigning two-time champions of District A. The Cougars will have to hold off perennial powerhouse Phoenix College (Ariz.) who is eager to get back to the national tournament that they have historically dominated. South Mountain will begin their 2012 season today at the Las Vegas Shootout.
Despite participating in only one World Series in the program’s history,
Iowa Central is poised to come out on top of District F for the second time in three seasons. The Tritons will boast an experienced roster with 14 players returning, including eight that have starting experience. A season-opening double-header at Neosho CCC (Kan.) awaits Iowa Central on Feb. 18.
Muskegon made its first trip to the Division II World Series in 2010 and won the national championship. A disappointing loss in last season’s District G tournament took away the Jayhawks chance at repeating as champions. Muskegon returns eight starters after going 38-17 in 2011. Beginning this season on the road, Muskegon will travel to St. Catherine Feb. 18.
The complete NJCAA poll can be found
here.
