Colorado State University Athletics
Rams softball picked to finish fifth in preseason poll
1/28/2010 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Jan. 28, 2010
By Tawny Dennis
Athletic Media Relations
FORT COLLINS, Colo. - A voting panel of the six Mountain West Conference head coaches chose defending softball league champion BYU as the favorite to win the 2010 MWC regular season title, the conference announced Wednesday.
The Cougars collected four first-place votes and 24 total points. San Diego State was a close second with 22 points and two first-place votes, while UNLV was picked third, totaling 17 points. Utah collected 10 points for fourth place in the poll, while Colorado State (nine points) and New Mexico (eight points) claimed fifth and sixth place, respectively, to round out the preseason rankings.
The Rams return three pitchers from the 2009 season, including all-MWC selection Kelli Eubanks, a sophomore, senior Rebecca Penland and sophomore Dani Chaplin. Freshman Kelsey Jo O’Brien will also compete for pitching time and will add depth to the lineup for the Rams.
“Our pitching staff should be the best we have had over the past few years,” Head Coach Mary Yori said. “They are talented and are becoming very consistent in their approach on the mound and in their execution of spotting pitches and attacking batters.”
Colorado State’s offense will be led by seniors Allison Majam, Ashley Munoz and Penland, along with junior Caitlan Stem and sophomores Christine Thomsen and Jenna Krogh.
These six batters combined for a .343 batting average in 2009 and accounted for 38 of the team’s 53 doubles (72 percent), 14 of the team’s 17 home runs (82 percent) and 132 of the team’s 180 RBI (73 percent).
“Our hitters have really improved over the past few months and I think we are swinging the bats as well as ever,” stated Yori. “Those six have all had a great deal of success at the plate and will most likely be the core of our batting lineup.”
Colorado State begins the 2010 season in Las Cruces, N.M., for the Hilton Las Cruces Classic. The Rams will face New Mexico State Feb. 12, at 4:30 p.m. MT, followed by a 7 p.m. MT first pitch against Penn State. Colorado State continues tournament play against Nebraska on Feb. 13, at 12 p.m. MT. The Rams will conclude the tournament on Feb. 14, against UTSA at 9:30 a.m. MT and UTEP at 11:30 a.m. MT.
