ECU Softball Picked Fifth in American Conference Preseason Poll
January 29, 2015 | Softball
PROVIDENCE, R.I. - The East Carolina softball team was chosen to finish fifth the 2015 American Athletic Conference preseason poll as voted on by the league's seven head coaches. UCF was picked as the preseason favorite to claim the conference title as announced by the conference office Thursday afternoon.
"Pirate softball is excited for an opportunity to compete in the American Athletic Conference," Interim head coach Steve Jaecks stated. "It is our intention to win the conference championship."
UCF received five of the seven first-place votes and accumulated 34 points. The Knights finished the 2014 campaign with a 43-18 overall record and went 15-3 in league action to win the program's first regular season championship in the inaugural campaign of the American Athletic Conference. UCF returns 19 members from last year's championship squad, including 2014 American Player-of-the-Year, Farrah Sullivan.
Tulsa finished second in the preseason poll with 29 points and garnered one first-place vote after posting an overall record of 53-9 which included winning the Conference USA regular season and tournament championships. The Golden Hurricane is ranked No. 21 in the USA Today/NFCA Division I Top 25 preseason poll and No. 22 in the ESPN.com/USA Softball Top 25.
USF took third place with 27 points and Houston followed in fourth with 24 points and one first-place vote. East Carolina secured the fifth spot in the preseason poll with 14 points, while Memphis received 13 points to finish sixth and UConn earned six points for seventh place.
East Carolina is coming off of a 28-20 season in which the Pirates compiled a 14-10 Conference USA record to finish sixth in the league. ECU returns 10 players and three pitchers including two of last year's starters in senior right-hander, Sarah Christian and senior righty Caroline Umphlett. The Pirates also welcome seven newcomers, made up of six freshmen and one junior transfer in Nicole Cheek.
The Pirates open the 2015 softball season against Oakland on Friday, February 6 at 3 p.m. as part of the Pirate Classic. The tournament will be held at the ECU Softball Complex in Greenville, N.C.
Preseason Coaches' Poll
Place School - Points (First-Place Votes)
1. UCF - 34 (5)
2. Tulsa - 29 (1)
3. USF - 27
4. Houston - 24 (1)
5. East Carolina - 14
6. Memphis - 13
7. UConn - 6
