Softball picked to finish first in MVC Pre-Season Poll

Jan. 26, 2011

SIUSalukis.com

ST. LOUIS - The Southern Illinois softball team was picked to finish first along with Illinois State, as voted by the league's coaches, in the Missouri Valley Conference pre-season poll announced on Wednesday.

Both teams earned 94 points with the Redbirds' getting five first-place votes and the Salukis' receiving four first-place votes. Drake took the remaining first-place vote and third-place (72 points) with UNI (69 points) rounding out the top-four.

Southern Illinois is paced by shortstop Haley Gorman, outfielder Mallory Duran and pitcher Danielle Glosson. The 2010 MVC Pitcher of the Year, Glosson, will lead the Saluki bullpen after pitching 225.2 innings last year, finishing with a 2.02 ERA and the second-most wins in the conference (25). Gorman, a junior, scored 31 runs and had two home runs in 2010. Duran finished her sophomore season with 141 at bats, 41 hits and eight runs batted in.

Missouri State was voted in fifth-place with 57 points and the reigning conference champions, Creighton, are picked sixth in the coaches poll with 54 points.

Evansville takes the seventh-place spot and 39 points while Wichita State (8th, 36 points) Indiana State (ninth-place, 19 points) and Bradley (tenth, 16 points) round out the 2011 preseason coaches poll.

The Salukis will begin their 2011 campaign as they travel to Houston, Texas for the Houston Hilton Plaza Invitational on Feb. 11-13.

2011 MVC Preseason Poll
Rank•Team (1st-place votes)•Points
T1. Illinois State (5) 94
T1. Southern Illinois (4) 94
3. Drake (1) 72
4. UNI 69
5. Missouri State 57
6. Creighton 54
7. Evansville 39
8. Wichita State 36
9. Indiana State 19
10. Bradley 16

2011 MVC Preseason All-Conference Team
Pos.•Player•Team
1B Jamie Hull, Wichita State
2B Kara Nelson, Illinois State
3B Abby Olson, Illinois State
SS Mackenzie Daigh, Northern Iowa
SS Haley Gorman, Southern Illinois
DP/UT Amy Baker, Creighton
OF Mallory Duran, Southern Illinois
OF Rachel Gerking, UNI
OF Jennifer Stahlhut, Evansville
P Danielle Glosson, Southern Illinois
P Megan Warner Illinois State