Bucknell University Athletics
Bison Picked Second in Patriot League Softball Preseason Poll
2/4/2015 12:46:00 PM | Softball
LEWISBURG, Pa. – Led by three Preseason All-Patriot League selections, Bucknell was picked to finish second in the Patriot League Softball Preseason Poll released by the conference on Wednesday. The poll was determined by a vote of the league's coaches and sports information directors.
Bucknell is coming off a great run in last year's conference tournament, as it finished as the runner-up after reaching the championship game for the first time since 2010. The Bison received one first-place vote and tied with Lehigh for second with 57 points. Defending champion Boston University captured nine first-place votes and was picked to repeat. Army (45), Colgate (26), Holy Cross (20) and Lafayette (20) rounded out the teams in the poll.
Senior Cydnee Sanders, junior Amanda Fazio and sophomore Jacee Almond represent Bucknell on the Preseason All-League team. They are joined by Army's Kasey McCravey, Boston University's Moriah Connolly, Lauren Hynes, Melanie Russell and Brittany Younan, Colgate's Mariel Schlaefer, and Lehigh's Emily Bausher, Morgan Decker and Alexis Watanabe.
Sanders, a shortstop, was one of the top hitters in the conference last season and certainly the most consistent. She won the league's batting title with a .482 average, which was 70 points higher than the second-place hitter and ranked third in the nation. She was also first in hits (80), runs scored (42) and total bases (100), and was named the Patriot League Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
Fazio turned in a great sophomore season as one of the anchors of the team's pitching staff. She had a 2.48 ERA and was named to the Patriot League All-Tournament Team. Almond joined Sanders and Fazio on the All-Tournament team and was a Second Team All-League performer at second base as a freshman
Bucknell, which finished 23-26 overall and 10-8 in conference play last year, kicks off the 2015 season this weekend when it travels to play in the Cleveland State Dome Tournament. The Bison will play Canisius and Bowling Green on Saturday and Toledo and Robert Morris on Sunday.
|
2015 Patriot League Preseason Poll |
Points |
|
1. Boston University (9 first-place votes) |
69 |
|
2. Bucknell (1) |
57 |
|
(tie) Lehigh (4) |
57 |
|
4. Army |
45 |
|
5. Colgate |
26 |
|
6. Holy Cross |
20 |
|
(tie) Lafayette |
20 |
Preseason Player of the Year: Morgan Decker, Lehigh (Jr., INF)
Preseason Pitcher of the Year: Emily Bausher, Lehigh (Sr., P)
Preseason All-League
Kasey McCravey, Army (Jr., INF)
Moriah Connolly, Boston University (So., OF)
Lauren Hynes, Boston University (Jr., U)
Melanie Russell, Boston University (Jr., P)
Brittany Younan, Boston University (So., INF)
Jacee Almond, Bucknell (So., INF)
Amanda Fazio, Bucknell (Jr., P/OF)
Cydnee Sanders, Bucknell (Sr., SS)
Mariel Schlaefer, Colgate (Jr., C)
Emily Bausher, Lehigh (Sr., P)
Morgan Decker, Lehigh (Jr., INF)
Alexis Watanabe, Lehigh (Jr., INF)
