FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 29, 2009

Southern softball picked to finish tenth in MIAA Preseason Coaches Poll

Kansas City, Mo. - The Missouri Southern softball team under the direction of first-year head coach Bill Gray has been picked to finish tenth in the MIAA Preseason Coaches Poll as announced by the league office today. Coaches in the league voted in the league's first-ever poll.

Southern returns seven starters from a season ago, including All-MIAA senior catcher Angie Turner. Turner led the Lions in almost every offensive category last year including average (.393), runs (28), hits (46), homers (6), RBIs (23), total bases (71), slugging (.607), on base percentage (.442) and was second in walks (10) and third in doubles (5). She ranked sixth in the MIAA in hitting and fifth in home runs.

She put herself into the record books, as well. With her six home runs in 2008, Turner is now the all-time leader in that category with 16 in her three year career at Southern. Her career .374 batting average ranks fifth all time, while her 54 walks rank her second all time, just two behind Jennifer Jimmerson's total of 56.

Defending MIAA Champion and national runners-up, Emporia State had one more first-place vote, but tied with MIAA newcomer Nebraska-Omaha, as the league's coaches were split on the choice for preseason favorite. Central Missouri was third, followed by Northwest Missouri and Washburn at fourth and Missouri Western and Pittsburg State at sixth. Truman, Fort Hays, Southern, and Southwest Baptist round out the poll.

The Lions open up the 2009 season on February 11 with a double-header beginning at 1 pm at Northeastern State.

2009 MIAA Softball Preseason Coaches Poll

   School                    Pts.
 1. Emporia State (5)           94
    Nebraska-Omaha (4)          94
 3. Central Missouri (2)        84
 4. Northwest Missouri State    66
    Washburn                    66
 6. Missouri Western            51
    Pittsburg State             51
 8. Truman                      36
 9. Fort Hays State             29
10. Missouri Southern           24
11. Southwest Baptist           10

Points awarded on an 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 basis. Coaches could not vote for their own school.