UNI Picked 3rd in preseason Missouri Valley Softball Poll

ST. LOUIS - The 2018 MVC Softball season will be highly contested as two points separate the preseason favorite from the school picked third. Illinois State has been picked as this year's preseason favorite in Missouri Valley Conference softball as voted by the league's coaches. The Redbirds earned two first-place votes and 88 points. Southern Illinois was picked in second-place with three first-place votes and 87 points while UNI claimed third (three first-place votes and 86 points).

The Redbirds will have strong leadership as they return all but two starters from last year's MVC Regular Season Co-Champions team. Illinois State has four players on the 2018 MVC Preseason All-Conference Team with Allison Spence (1B), Shannon Felde (DP/UT-NP), Riley Hale (OF) and Sarah Finck (P) all earning a spot on the team. All four return after being named MVC All-Conference First Team a year ago with Spence, Felde and Hale also named to the NFCA Division I All-Midwest Region Third Team. The trio accounted for a third of the team's RBIs and a third of their runs scored.

After winning the MVC Tournament Championship in 2017, the Salukis also return seven starters including Preseason All-MVC Team members Maddy Vermejan (sophomore), Sydney Jones (senior), Susie Baranski (sophomore) and Brianna Jones (junior). Brianna Jones is coming off a 2017 season that saw her win 11 Conference games and have the fourth-lowest ERA in Valley play.  Baranski led the Salukis in runs scored and hits during their 2017 campaign while Sydney Jones had the most home runs for the team.

Sammey Bunch (SS) and Jaclyn Spencer (P) represent the Panthers on the All-MVC Preseason Team. The 2017 MVC Regular Season Co-Champions lost four to graduation but sophomore Sammey Bunch led the team in seven different categories (batting average, slugging pct., runs scored, doubles, triples, total bases and stolen bases) as well as adding First Team MVC All-Conference and MVC Freshman of the Year to her list of accomplishments.

Drake, the coaches' fourth-place pick (74 points and two first-place votes) welcome back Nicole Newman, Kennedy Frank, Taryn Pena and Mandi Roemmich. Roemmich was picked as an MVC All-Conference Second Team member last year during her freshman campaign after leading the Bulldogs' in batting average, on base percentage, hits and doubles. Newman will be back as the lead pitcher for the team after being sidelined due to injury in 2017, after only 12 appearances (7 wins, 1.27 ERA).

Missouri State was voted as fifth-place with 57 points. The Bears return six starters and all three of their pitchers. Senior Erika Velasquez Zimmer was awarded 2018 MVC Preseason All-Conference Team honors after being in the top-ten in the Valley in batting average, hits, triples and stolen bases. Missouri State will have strong leadership as they have seven seniors on the squad including Kaitlin Beason, Madison Jones and Hailee Vigneaux.

Evansville was chosen as No. 6 in the coaches' poll (56 points) as they will be a young team.  The Purple Aces graduated 9 seniors from a season ago and will be under the experience of the lone senior, Brittany Hay and junior, Morgan Florey.  Hay was named 2017 MVC Newcomer of the Year while Florey earned 2017 MVC All-Conference Second-Team laurels and 2018 MVC Preseason All-MVC honors. Against league foes, Florey held a 1.81 ERA and struck out 95 batters, the best in the Conference.

Loyola was picked seventh with 35 points.  Earning 2018 MVC Preseason All-Conference honors is catcher, Katie Kasubke.  Kasubke led the Ramblers in slugging percentage, runs batted in and home runs. Also returning is Shannon McGee who had a fantastic freshman year leading the Ramblers in batting average, on base percentage, runs scored, doubles, triples and total bases.

Bradley, the coaches' eighth-place pick, earned 30 points. The Braves welcome back three seniors from a season ago including Maria Schroeder.  A Third-Team NFCA All-Mideast Region selection last year, Schroeder started every game for Bradley in 2017 and was second in the Valley with 16 doubles in addition to ranking second for the Braves in both runs (29) and RBI (38).  Second-Team All-MVC selection Kealia Wysocki also returns after slugging five of her Bradley freshman record seven homers in league play.

Valparaiso claimed 19 points and the ninth-place spot. The Crusaders look to make a strong showing in their first season in the Missouri Valley Conference under the direction of Kate Stake who is in her fourth season as head coach. Returning for the team are Carly Trepanier and Jaymee Lawyton who started every game last season.  The junior duo had a combined 96 hits, 52 runs scored and 143 total bases.

Indiana State was picked tenth in the poll with 18 points.  The Sycamores will be a young team as they lost five starters and one pitcher but welcome ten newcomers. Key returners for the team will be juniors Shaye Barton, Brooke Mann and Bailey Martin.

Nine of the Missouri Valley Conference softball teams begin action the second weekend of February, with tournament play and non-conference games. Indiana State will start the season the following weekend. League competition will begin Friday, March 16 for two teams with the remainder of the Conference starting Saturday, March 17.