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HomeSportsOVC preseason poll picks APSU Softball to finish 11th

OVC preseason poll picks APSU Softball to finish 11th

APSU Sports Information

APSU Softball - Austin Peay State UniversityClarksville, TN – Austin Peay State University’s softball team was picked to finish 11th in the 2017 Ohio Valley Conference preseason poll, as announced by the conference office on Wednesday, in voting by the conference’s head softball coaches and school’s sports information representatives.

Austin Peay Softball kicks off 2017 season February 11th at the Phyllis Rafter Memorial Tournament. (APSU Sports Information)
Austin Peay Softball kicks off 2017 season February 11th at the Phyllis Rafter Memorial Tournament. (APSU Sports Information)

Reigning OVC regular-season and tournament champion Jacksonville State received 22 of the 24 first-place votes, good for 242 total points, in being picked as the league favorite.

SIU Edwardsville received the other two first-place votes in the poll and 205 total points, as the OVC number-two pick; just edging out third-place Eastern Kentucky (201 points).

Rounding out the preseason poll were Eastern Illinois (173 points), Tennessee Tech (159), UT Martin (151), Murray State (135), Morehead State (94), Southeast Missouri (83), Belmont (71), Austin Peay (47) and Tennessee State (23).

The Governors are coming off a 9-38 overall mark in 2016, which included a 5-22 record in Ohio Valley Conference play.

The Govs return 13 letterwinners (including six seniors) from last year, headed by sophomore third baseman Danielle Liermann – who was named the OVC’s Freshman of the Year — as well as earning All-OVC First Team and All-OVC Newcomers Team honors.

Also returning is red-shirt sophomore outfielder Kacy Acree, who was named to the All-OVC Newcomers team last season.

Overall, the Govs return 86% of its total offense and 67% of innings pitched from last year, while also seeing eight new players – all freshmen — added to this year’s roster.

Austin Peay opens its 55-game schedule with the first of four in-season tournaments, beginning February 11th, at the Phyllis Rafter Memorial Tournament in Kennesaw, GA, hosted by Kennesaw State University.

The Govs first home game at Cheryl Holt Field is versus Middle Tennessee, 2:00pm, on February 21st.

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