INDIANAPOLIS – The UIndy softball team came in at No. 4 in the 2019 GLVC Preseason Coaches Poll, released Wednesday. The annual list was voted on by the league's 14 coaches, with each coach unable to vote for their own team.
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Defending conference, regional and national champion University of Southern Indiana was picked as the favorite heading into the 2019 campaign, garnering 166 points and 11 of a possible 13 first-place votes. Illinois Springfield (2nd), McKendree (3rd) and Missouri-St. Louis (5th) picked up the remaining first-place nods, earning one apiece. See below for the complete poll.
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Head Coach
Melissa Frost returns nine position/designated players that started at least 20 games a year ago, as well as her entire pitching staff. Senior and two-time team MVP
Taylor Podschweit (.311, 7 HR in 2018) headlines the returning hitters, while all-region pitcher
Lauren Honkomp (17-11, 2.32 ERA) will look to lead the pitching staff.
After finishing 39-20 overall and 18-10 in conference play last spring, the Greyhounds are looking to make a return trip to the NCAA Division II Midwest Regional. They enter the '19 campaign having qualified for each of the last 11 NCAA postseasons, good for the longest such streak in the region.
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UIndy opens the season in two weeks at the NFCA DII Leadoff Classic in Clearwater, Fla. The Hounds will play five opponents over three days, starting with a meeting against Tampa on Friday, Feb. 8.
2019 GLVC PRESEASON COACHES POLL
| RK |
SCHOOL (1st-place votes) |
PTS |
| 1. |
Southern Indiana (11) |
166 |
| 2. |
Illinois Springfield (1) |
149 |
| 3. |
McKendree (1) |
140 |
| 4. |
UIndy |
138 |
| 5. |
Missouri-St. Louis (1) |
126 |
| 6. |
Truman State |
111 |
| 7. |
William Jewell |
84 |
| 8. |
Rockhurst |
78 |
| 9. |
Missouri S&T |
73 |
| 10. |
Maryville |
58 |
| 11. |
Drury |
46 |
| 12. |
Quincy |
44 |
| 13. |
Lewis |
41 |
| 14. |
Bellarmine |
20 |
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