Date of Event: 11/18/2011
at 01:00 AM
Softball team ranked 21st Nationally in 2012 NAIA Coaches’ Preseason Poll
(published 11/18/11) Waleska, Ga. – In the 2012 NAIA Softball Coaches’ Preseason Top 25 Poll, the Reinhardt University softball team is ranked 21st in the country after receiving 239 points. Reinhardt was rated No. 13 (405 points) in the final 2011 regular-season poll.
Poll Criteria
The Oregon Institute of Technology Owls, the defending national champions, claimed the top spot in the preseason poll. Oregon Tech received 17-of-20 first-place votes and earned 555 points. The poll was voted upon by a panel of head coaches representing each of the NAIA conferences/independent/unaffiliated groupings. The first regular-season poll is released on March 19, 2012.
Lady Eagles Stats
Earlier this month, the Lady Eagles were picked to win their third straight Appalachian Athletic Conference regular-season championship after garnering 80 points and eight first-place votes in the 2012 preseason poll of the 10 AAC head coaches. Reinhardt is the only AAC team to appear in the NAIA preseason rating.
The Lady Eagles, under the direction of two-time AAC Coach-of-the-Year Glen Crawford, have finished 40-11 overall in each of the past two seasons. After going a perfect 14-0 in conference regular-season play in 2011, Reinhardt is 28-2 in AAC games over the past two campaigns. A season ago, the Lady Eagles won the AAC Tournament title, advancing to the NAIA Softball National Championship event for the first time in school history.
2012 Season Play
Back for Reinhardt in 2012 are junior Maddie Monroe, the AAC Pitcher of the Year in both 2010 and 2011, along with other all-conference performers in senior catcher Ashley Kennedy, senior utility player Nikki Roddy, senior outfielder Andrea Thibaudeau and senior infielder Haley Williams. Monroe and Thibaudeau were also named to the Louisville Slugger/National Fastpitch Coaches Association NAIA All-East Region Second Team.
The Lady Eagles begin their 2012 season when playing the St. Catharine (Ky.) College Lady Patriots in their own Reinhardt University Invitational on Friday, Feb. 10. The game is set for 7 p.m. at Ken White Softball Field.