Softball

UTSA overwhelming favorites to repeat as SLC Champions; Seven Roadrunners named preseason all-conference, including five first team

Jan. 18, 2005
Contact: Kyle Stephens (210) 458-4907

UTSA overwhelming favorites to repeat as SLC Champions; Seven Roadrunners named preseason all-conference, including five first team

Preseason Polls   |   Preseason All-SLC Teams

PLANO, Texas - The UTSA softball team is the overwhelming favorite to repeat as Southland Conference champions in the 2005 Preseason Head Coaches and Sports Information Directors Polls, the league office announced Tuesday.

The Roadrunners, who were 37-17 overall and 20-6 in the league last season, received nine of 10 first-place votes in both polls. They tallied 81 points in the coaches poll, 13 ahead of Sam Houston State, and 99 points in the SIDs poll, 16 better than Texas State.

Individually, UTSA led all schools with seven preseason all-conference selections, including five on the first team. Senior first baseman Krystal Gibson (Spring, Texas/Spring HS) and junior third baseman Jessica Rogers (Grand Prairie, Texas/South Grand Prairie HS), both two-time first team picks, join sophomore shortstop Aimee Murray (Cypress, Texas/Cy-Fair HS), the 2004 SLC Freshman of the Year, senior outfielder Jennifer Davis (Grand Prairie, Texas/South Grand Prairie HS), a two-time second selection, and sophomore pitcher Ursula Mares (Pasadena, Texas/Sam Rayburn HS), the 2004 SLC Tournament MVP, on the first team.

Junior catcher Jessica Els (Houston, Texas/Cy-Fair HS) and junior outfielder Amanda Horton (West, Texas/West HS), both third-team choices last season, made the second unit. No other school placed more than three players on the preseason teams.

UTSA opens the 2005 campaign with a three-game series at Arizona State on Friday-Sunday, Feb. 4-6, in Tempe, Ariz. After a doubleheader at Texas A&M on Wednesday, Feb. 9, the Roadrunners host the annual Fastpitch Express College Classic at Roadrunner Field on Friday-Sunday, Feb. 11-13.

2005 Southland Conference Preseason Polls

Head Coaches

  School (1st-place votes) Points
1. UTSA (9) 81
2. Sam Houston St. (1) 68
3. Texas State 66
4. Northwestern St. 56
5. Texas-Arlington 48
6. Southeastern Louisiana 36
7. Nicholls St. 31
8. Stephen F. Austin 29
9. McNeese St. 22
10. Louisiana-Monroe 13

(coaches could not vote for their own team)


Sports Information Directors

  School (1st-place votes) Points
1. UTSA (9) 99
2. Texas State (1) 83
3. Sam Houston St. 79
4. Texas-Arlington 67
5. Northwestern St. 66
6. Southeastern Louisiana 45
7. Nicholls St. 33
8. McNeese St. 29
9. Stephen F. Austin 27
10. Louisiana-Monroe 22


2005 Southland Conference Preseason All-Conference Teams

First Team

Name Yr. Pos. School Hometown
Krystal Gibson Sr. 1B UTSA Spring, Texas
Brandi Hahn Jr. 2B Nicholls St. Donaldsonville, La.
Jessica Rogers Jr. 3B UTSA Grand Prairie, Texas
Aimee Murray So. SS UTSA Cypress, Texas
Karin Smith Sr. C Southeastern La. Puyallup, Wash.
Carrie Woydziak Jr. OF Stephen F. Austin Round Rock, Texas
Jennifer Davis Sr. OF UTSA Grand Prairie, Texas
Sarina Noack Jr. OF Northwestern St. Tomball, Texas
Katie Ann Trahan Jr. DP Texas State Magnolia, Texas
Ursula Mares So. P UTSA Pasadena, Texas
Katie Ann Trahan Jr. P Texas State Magnolia, Texas

Second Team

Name Yr. Pos. School Hometown
Kristen Gunter Jr. 1B Texas State Brenham, Texas
Nicole Edlund* Sr. 2B McNeese St. Conroe, Texas
Ashley Wilson* Sr. 2B Texas State Edinburg, Texas
Lauren Boone Jr. 3B Sam Houston St. Bryan, Texas
Jenna Fortune Jr. SS Texas-Arlington Keller, Texas
Jessica Els Jr. C UTSA Houston, Texas
Nicole Martin Sr. OF Northwestern St. Keller, Texas
Kristen Baker Sr. OF Louisiana-Monroe Buena Park, Calif.
Amanda Horton Jr. OF UTSA West, Texas
Margaret Patterson So. DP Northwestern St. Mandeville, La.
Melissa Collins So. P Sam Houston St. Splendora, Texas
Jessica Dunham Jr. P McNeese St. Alvin, Texas

* Tied in voting