Benavidez named preseason all-league
1/26/2012 3:52:00 PM | Softball
The preseason all-league team is selected by the league's head coaches. The same group has voted on their predictions for the 2012 face. Sam Houston is picked to finished seventh according to the annual preseason poll.
Benavidez earned second team All-Southland Conference as a sophomore in 2011. She hit .319 with nine multiple hit games. She also was an Academic All-Southland and Commissioner's Honor Roll student with 3.81 GPA as general business major
Texas State, the 2011 Southland Conference Tournament champion, is the head coaches' prediction to repeat in 2012 as regular season champion.
Texas State received 92 points in the poll and 93 points in the SID poll. The Bobcats, who have claimed five regular-season and five tournament championships, received 10 first-place votes overall with four first-place marks from the coaches. Key returners for the Bobcats include preseason all-conference first baseman Haley Lemons, a junior from Rockwall, Texas, and preseason all-conference pitcher Anne Marie Taylor, a junior from Houston, Texas.
Defending regular-season champion A&M-Corpus Christi was tabbed second. The Islanders will be under the direction of first-year head coach Stephanie Hughes. The Islanders, who lost in the championship game of last year's tournament, return eight letter-winners, four starters and three pitchers this season.
UT Arlington was picked third, followed by McNeese State, UTSA and Northwestern State. Following the Bearkats in the coaches' forecast are Central Arkansas, Stephen F. Austin and then Southeastern Louisiana.
Southland teams open the season Feb. 9 with conference play beginning March 7. The conference tournament will be hosted by UTSA in San Antonio, Texas, May 10-12 at Roadrunner Field.
2012 All-Southland Conference Preseason Softball Teams
|
First Team |
|||
|
Pos. |
Name |
University |
Class |
|
1B |
Haley Lemons |
Texas State |
Jr. |
|
2B |
Cali Burke |
Northwestern State |
So. |
|
3B |
Ashley Ray |
Nicholls State |
Sr. |
|
SS |
Megan Gaspard |
Nicholls State |
Sr. |
|
C |
Melanie Bryant |
Central Arkansas |
Jr. |
|
UT |
Kasey Britt |
Central Arkansas |
Sr. |
|
DP |
Katie McGregor |
Central Arkansas |
Sr. |
|
OF |
Hannah Schwarz |
A&M-Corpus Christi |
Sr. |
|
OF |
Claire Terracina |
McNeese State |
Sr. |
|
OF |
Kelsey Nichols |
Southeastern Louisiana |
Jr. |
|
P |
Callie Collins |
UT Arlington |
So. |
|
P |
Anne Marie Taylor |
Texas State |
Jr. |
|
Second Team |
|||
|
1B |
Caitlyn Ivy |
UTSA |
Sr. |
|
2B |
Anna Hernandez |
Texas State |
Jr. |
|
3B |
Taylor Zink |
UT Arlington |
So. |
|
SS |
Courtney Enocksen |
UT Arlington |
Sr. |
|
C |
Molly Fichtner |
UTSA |
So. |
|
UT |
Chandler Hall |
Texas State |
Sr. |
|
DP |
MyKeisha Young |
McNeese State |
So. |
|
OF |
Sam Houston State |
Jr. |
|
|
OF |
Charne Office |
UT Arlington |
Sr. |
|
OF |
Nicole Beals |
Central Arkansas |
Sr. |
|
P |
Kelee Grimes |
Northwestern State |
Sr. |
|
P |
Vianca Pesina |
A&M-Corpus Christi |
Sr. |
2012 Preseason Southland Softball Head Coaches Poll
| Rank Team (First Place Votes) | |
|
1. Texas State (4) |
92 |
|
2. A&M-Corpus Christi (5) |
87 |
|
3. UT Arlington (1) |
82 |
|
4. McNeese State |
75 |
|
5. UTSA |
68 |
|
6. Northwestern State (1) |
58 |
|
7. Sam Houston State |
42 |
|
8. Central Arkansas |
40 |
|
9. Stephen F. Austin |
24 |
|
10. Southeastern Louisiana |
21 |
|
11. Nicholls State |
17 |
