Wesleyan Picked Atop WVIAC Softball Coaches' Poll

PRINCETON, WV, February 4, 2009---Defending WVIAC regular season champion West Virginia Wesleyan is the overwhelming favorite to capture the 2009 league softball crown.  Steve Warner's Bobcats, who have captured 14 of the past 17 WVIAC regular season titles, earned 13 of 15 votes from league's coaches for the top spot.

2008 WVIAC Tournament champion West Virginia State grabbed one first place vote and nabbed the second spot.  The third through seventh positions were separated by only five votes in extremely close balloting.  Shepherd is third in the poll, followed by Fairmont State, Alderson-Broaddus, Wheeling Jesuit, and Charleston.  UC's Golden Eagles were the recipient of the final first place vote.

West Liberty, Glenville State, and Seton Hill round out the top ten.  Davis & Elkins, Ohio Valley, Salem International, Concord, and Bluefield State complete the polling.

Wesleyan (51-20, 26-2) returns four first or second team All-WVIAC honorees from last season's squad that established a league record for overall victories.  SS Trisha Thurston and P Stephanie Wheeler were first team picks, while C Shelby Carlson and OF Lexi Rodgers were second team all-conference selections.

West Virginia State (41-16, 20-7) made their first trip to the NCAA Tournament in 2008 after capturing the league tournament.  Bob Allen's Yellow Jackets return 14 of 17 letterwinners, but must find a replacement for 25-game winner Samantha Kinder in the pitching circle.  Diana Humphries posted a 15-8 record and earned second team All-WVIAC last year.

Shepherd (29-26, 17-11) should have a strong outfield with returning starters Rae Johnson, Amy Edmondson, and Amber Dudek.  Leslie Lopez's second edition of the Rams have also added a well-regarded crop of transfers and rookies.

Fairmont State (30-23, 17-11) has seven of nine position starters back on hand.  Catcher Kristy Rausch is an All-American candidate after posting a .373 batting average in 2008 to go with a dozen home runs and 41 runs bated in.  Rick Wade's Falcons also return 2007 All-WVIAC 3B Whitnie Highland after she missed much of last season due to injury.

Alderson-Broaddus (19-20-1, 16-8-1) is typically a threat under long-time head coach J.D. Long.  The Battlers will field an exceptionally young lineup, but A-B is set on the left side of the infield with 3B Haley Mullen and SS Brittany Meadows.  The loss of hard-hitting catcher Ashley Mooney will be felt in the middle of the order.

Wheeling Jesuit (27-18-1, 17-9-1) welcomes a new head coach as Bill Vasko takes the reins.  The Cards return seven starters, including all-conference picks SS Ashley McSweeney and P Brandy Jester.

Charleston (34-26, 16-8) has developed into an annual contender for head coach Annette Olenchick.  The Golden Eagles will rely heavily on the arm of sophomore Stefani Rossman, who posted a 32-23 record with 359 strikeouts in 2008.

West Liberty (11-27, 9-13) battled through an injury-plagued 2008, but head coach Herb Minch hopes for better fortune in '09.  Senior 3B Rachel Mason has ranked as one of the WVIAC's most dangerous bats during her tenure on the hilltop.

Glenville State (17-33, 11-11) is another squad that was bitten by the injury bug last season, but Rick Moore's Lady Pioneers expect to be on the rise.  Meagan James, Candace White, and Karly Eskew pace what should be a capable attack.

Seton Hill (14-38, 6-14) is eligible for the league championship for the first time in 2009 as the Griffins have achieved full NCAA Division II membership.  DH Louanne Wiegand led her team with 20 runs batted in last season.  Lyndsey Nusser is the top returning pitcher for Laura Cymmeran's club.

Davis & Elkins (14-35 6-18) showed competitive progress last year in head coach Jim Bacca's first season.  Britne Bacca gave the Senators a spark in the circle and at bat during her rookie campaign in 2008.

Ohio Valley (14-37, 8-16) could experience a breakout season for head coach Brian Howard.  The Fighting Scots have a solid core in Jaci Miller, Preet Dhillon, and Alyssa Davis.

The bottom three squads in the preseason poll each have new head coaches.  Steve Potts takes over at Salem International (19-38, 12-14).  Sabrina McCullough is the new boss at Concord (3-34, 0-23) after a highly successful stint at Scott County (KY) HS.  Tyler Pruett will direct Bluefield State (4-33, 3-19).

Weather permitting, several league members are heading south to open the 2009 WVIAC softball season this weekend.  The 12-team WVIAC Tournament is slated for April 30 to May 2 at Vienna's Jackson Park complex.

WVIAC squads will also face a new set of hurdles for post-season qualification in 2009 as the league shifts to the Atlantic Region from the Great Lakes Region.  League teams will now be paired with the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference and Central Intercollegiate Athletic Conference in the NCAA Division II softball structure.

 The complete 2009 WVIAC pre-season coaches' poll follows:

Pos.	School	2008 Record	Pts.
1.	West Virginia Wesleyan (13)	51-20, 26-2	222
2.	West Virginia State (1)	41-16, 20-7	184
3.	Shepherd	29-26, 17-11	163
4.	Fairmont State	30-23, 17-11	162
5.	Alderson-Broaddus	19-20-1, 16-8-1	161
6.	Wheeling Jesuit	27-18-1, 17-9-1	159
7.	Charleston (1)	34-26, 16-8	158
8.	West Liberty	11-27, 9-13	127
9.	Glenville State	17-33, 11-11	123
10.	Seton Hill	14-38, 6-14	85
11.	Davis & Elkins	14-35, 6-18	73
12.	Ohio Valley	14-37, 8-16	69
13.	Salem International	19-38, 12-14	53
14.	Concord	3-34, 0-23	36
15.	Bluefield State	4-33, 3-19	25