RICHARDSON, Texas –– East Texas Baptist University and Hardin-Simmons University have been predicted to win 2010 American Southwest Conference softball division titles, it was announced by the ASC office on Thursday after a vote of each division’s head coaches, sports information directors and media members. The University of Texas at Tyler’s Whitney Wyly, ETBU’s Ayrika Henderson, HSU’s Courtney Clark and the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor’s Kelsey Greeson earned preseason individual honors. Louisiana College's women were picked to finish third the ASC East Division.
East Texas Baptist, which went 39-9 overall and 21-3 in league play last season en route to its fifth East Division title – first since 2004 – collected 132 points and nine of the 21 possible first-place votes in the annual poll to be the favorite. Head coach Janae Shirley’s Lady Tigers, who won five straight conference titles from 2000-2004, hit .319 and led the league with a 0.91 ERA last season. They also earned an at-large bid into the NCAA playoffs.
Defending ASC champion Texas-Tyler (39-10), which is fresh off a fifth-place finish in the NCAA Division III World Series, was picked to come in second place in the East with 126 points and more first-place votes (10) than ETBU. Two-time ASC champion Louisiana College, which went 38-9 and appeared in the NCAA playoffs for the fifth straight year, claimed the third spot with 117 points and the remaining two first-place votes. ETBU, UT Tyler and LC would make up the East Division’s three qualifiers for the ASC Championship Tournament. They all finished 2009 ranked in the National Fastpitch Coaches Association Top 25 Poll.
Mississippi College was picked to finish fourth in the East with 84 points, followed by LeTourneau University (53 pts.), the University of Texas at Dallas (45 pts.) and the University of the Ozarks (31 pts.).
Hardin-Simmons, which went 31-12 overall and 21-3 in league play to claim its third West Division title in five season, received 140 points and all but four of the 21 possible first-place votes to be the favorite to repeat. Head coach Rita Jordan’s Cowgirls belted a league-high 14 triples last season and led the West with a 2.88 ERA. HSU won back-to-back conference titles in 2006 and 2007.
Howard Payne University was picked to be the runner-up in the West with 111 points and two first-place votes. Mary Hardin-Baylor held down the third spot with 104 points and one top-spot vote to round out what would be the division’s three qualifiers for the ASC tourney.
1999 ASC champion Schreiner University was predicted for a fourth-place finish with 81 points, followed by Concordia University Texas (78 pts.), Texas Lutheran University (50 pts.) and Sul Ross State University (24 pts.). TLU picked up the final first-place vote.
Wyly (Hardin, TX / Texas-San Antonio), a junior outfielder, was named ASC East Division Preseason Player of the Year after batting .395 and breaking ASC records for home runs (16) and RBIs (70) in a single season en route to earning newcomer of the year honors.
Henderson (Woden, TX / Northeast TX CC), a senior right-hander, was predicted to repeat her title of ASC East Division Pitcher of the Year. Last season, Henderson went 17-3 and led the league in ERA (0.37) and strikeouts (161 over 114 2/3 innings).
Clark (Eula, TX / EHS), a senior shortstop, is expected to repeat the title of ASC West Division Player of the Year. Clark hit .444 and led the conference with 67 hits, five triples and 102 assists in the field in 2009.
Greeson (Belton, TX / Centenary) a senior right-hander, was named ASC West Division Preseason Pitcher of the Year after going 11-10 with a 2.88 ERA and logging a league-high 138 1/3 innings last season.