Campus News

SOFTBALL: ETBU picked to repeat in ASC East Division poll

MARSHALL, Texas (1/28/10) – Defending ASC East Division champion ETBU has been picked as the preseason favorite to repeat in a loaded division with the release of the 2010 American Southwest Conference Preseason Softball Poll Thursday.

The Lady Tigers, who finished 39-9 last season and won the program’s first ASC East title since 2004, edged chief rivals Texas-Tyler and Louisiana College for the top spot in the poll of head coaches, sports information directors and selected media. All three of those teams advanced to the 2009 NCAA First-Round Tournament hosted at ETBU’s Taylor Field last May, with UT Tyler winning the regional and advancing to the NCAA Division III World Series.

ETBU finished third at the regional, its first appearance in the NCAA Tournament since 2004.

The Lady Tigers lost just two seniors from last season’s team and return five players – seniors Ayrika Henderson, Stacy Jordan-Havner and Adrienne Meier, junior Meghan Fisher and sophomore Brooke Martin – who were named to the National Fastpitch Coaches Association All-West Region team. An additional two players – senior Porsha Harrison and sophomore Alicia Wright – were named All-ASC East Division.

Sophomore Erin Garcia, who was also named to the All-ASC East Division team last season, is also back for ETBU but is sitting out this spring due to injury.

ETBU finished with 132 points in the voting, edging Texas-Tyler (39-10 in 2009) by six points. The Patriots, however, finished with one more first-place vote (10-9) than ETBU.

Louisiana College (38-9), the 2008 ASC champion and World Series qualifier, was third in the poll with 117 points and the remaining two first-place votes.

Mississippi College (22-17) was fourth with 84 points, followed by LeTourneau (14-23) with 53 points and Texas-Dallas (5-31) with 45. Ozarks was picked last with 31 points after a 5-35 finish last season.

ETBU senior pitcher Ayrika Henderson was also named the Preseason Pitcher of the Year in the East after a season that saw her finish 17-3 with a nation-best 0.37 ERA in 114 2/3 innings.

UT Tyler junior outfielder Whitney Wyly was named the Preseason Player of the Year. Wyly hit .395 and broke ASC season records for home runs (16) and RBI (70).

In the West Division, Hardin-Simmons was tabbed as favorite with 140 points and 17 first-place votes. Howard Payne was second with 111 points and two firsts, followed by Mary Hardin-Baylor (104 points, one first-place vote) and Schreiner (81 points). Rounding out the West poll were Concordia Texas (78 points in fifth place) followed by Texas Lutheran (50 points, one first-place vote) and Sul Ross State (24 points).

Hardin-Simmons’ Courtney Clark was the ASC West Division Preseason Player of the Year, and UMHB pitcher Kelsey Greeson was named the Preseason Pitcher of the Year.

ETBU begins the season on Feb. 26-27 by competing at the LeTourneau Tournament in Longview.