Mavs Picked Fifth in Summit League Poll
Feb 1, 2013 | General, Softball
Summit League Release
OMAHA, Neb. - The Omaha softball team was picked to finish fifth out of nine teams in The Summit League Preseason Poll released on Friday. The poll was voted on by the league's nine head coaches.
The Mavericks, newcomers to The Summit League this season, received 38 points in the poll. Four-time defending champion North Dakota State was picked to win the league again this season with 64 points and eight first-place votes. Fort Wayne tallied 56 points and received the other first-place vote, as coaches were not allowed to vote for their own teams.
Western Illinois came in third with 46 points, while Kansas City came in fourth with 40 points to barely edge the Mavericks. Following UNO in sixth was South Dakota (28), with IUPUI (26), South Dakota State (17) and Oakland (9) rounding out the poll.
The top four teams in the regular season standings, excluding the Mavericks, will compete for The Summit League Softball Championship at the Ellig Sports Complex in Fargo, N.D., May 9-11. The tournament champion earns the league's automatic bid to the NCAA Softball Tournament.
The Mavs have eight letterwinners back from last season, including five position starters and all three pitchers. Amber Lutmer returns as the Mavs' top hitter after posting a .333 batting average with 11 HR and 43 RBIs. Dana Elsasser is back to lead the Mavs in the circle after a 13-9 record last season with a 1.07 ERA.
Omaha begins its season next Friday, Feb. 8, at the UNCW Beach Blast in Wilmington, N.C.
OMAHA, Neb. - The Omaha softball team was picked to finish fifth out of nine teams in The Summit League Preseason Poll released on Friday. The poll was voted on by the league's nine head coaches.
The Mavericks, newcomers to The Summit League this season, received 38 points in the poll. Four-time defending champion North Dakota State was picked to win the league again this season with 64 points and eight first-place votes. Fort Wayne tallied 56 points and received the other first-place vote, as coaches were not allowed to vote for their own teams.
Western Illinois came in third with 46 points, while Kansas City came in fourth with 40 points to barely edge the Mavericks. Following UNO in sixth was South Dakota (28), with IUPUI (26), South Dakota State (17) and Oakland (9) rounding out the poll.
The top four teams in the regular season standings, excluding the Mavericks, will compete for The Summit League Softball Championship at the Ellig Sports Complex in Fargo, N.D., May 9-11. The tournament champion earns the league's automatic bid to the NCAA Softball Tournament.
The Mavs have eight letterwinners back from last season, including five position starters and all three pitchers. Amber Lutmer returns as the Mavs' top hitter after posting a .333 batting average with 11 HR and 43 RBIs. Dana Elsasser is back to lead the Mavs in the circle after a 13-9 record last season with a 1.07 ERA.
Omaha begins its season next Friday, Feb. 8, at the UNCW Beach Blast in Wilmington, N.C.
| 2013 Summit League Softball Preseason Poll | |||
| Place | Team | Points (1st) | 2012 Record |
| 1. | North Dakota State | 64 (8) | 38-22 (18-6) |
| 2. | Fort Wayne | 56 (1) | 45-14 (17-7) |
| 3. | Western Illinois | 46 | 23-28 (13-11) |
| 4. | Kansas City | 40 | 27-30 (13-11) |
| 5. | Omaha | 38 | 24-18 (N/A) |
| 6. | South Dakota | 28 | 16-39 (12-12) |
| 7. | IUPUI | 26 | 18-32 (7-14) |
| 8. | South Dakota State | 17 | 13-27 (5-16) |
| 9. | Oakland | 9 | 10-38 (5-19) |
Players Mentioned
RHP
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C/IF
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Wednesday, August 26
Friday, August 21
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