Softball Takes Fifth in 2015 Skyline Preseason Poll
NEW YORK, N.Y. – The St. Joseph's women's softball team earned a first-place vote and finished fifth in the 2015 Skyline Conference Softball Coaches Preseason Poll with 29 points. Farmingdale State was predicted to win its fifth consecutive Skyline Softball Championship in voting conducted by the league's eight head coaches.
The Rams garnered four first-place votes and amassed 46 overall points, while 2014 runner-up Sage placed second in the voting with 40 points.
FSC will be led by junior catcher Meagan Anderson, a two-time first-team All-Conference selection. Anderson led the Skyline in batting average (.480) runs scored (48) and doubles (18) last season, while seniors Taylor Tedeschi and Taylor Webb combined for 22 wins and 28 complete games a year ago.
Having compiled 74 victories over the past three seasons, Sage finished second in the voting and received a pair of first-place votes. Kristen Beikirch, a three-time All-Conference honoree, batted .374 in 2014 and enters her senior season with career totals of 175 RBI and 128 runs scored.
Coming off a program-best 28-win season and advancing to the Skyline Championship for the first time since 2008, Mount Saint Vincent placed third in the poll with 38 points. The Dolphins, who also received a first-place vote, will be anchored by reigning Skyline Pitcher of the Year Mackenzie Heizer (10-2) and first-team All-Conference hurler Kathleen Davis (11-5).
After posting a 10-4 mark in Skyline play in 2014, Mount Saint Mary finished fourth in the voting with 32 overall points. The Knights welcome back a pair of first-team All-Conference selections in second baseman Shannon Sommer (.438 batting average) and third baseman Danielle Soto (33 RBI).
St. Joseph's also earned a first-place vote and finished fifth in the voting with 29 points, followed by Old Westbury (19), Purchase (13) and Sarah Lawrence (7).
The four-team, double-elimination Skyline Softball Championship will be held Apr. 24-26 on the campus of the regular season champion. The winner will receive the league's automatic berth to the 2015 NCAA Softball Championship.
The Skyline also welcomes its newest member, Sarah Lawrence College, to the conference this season. SLC will play a full league schedule but will not be eligible for the 2015 Skyline and NCAA Championships as it completes its final year of NCAA Division III provisional membership.
2015 Preseason Coaches Poll
1. Farmingdale State (4) - 46
2. Sage (2) - 40
3. Mount Saint Vincent (1) - 38
4. Mount Saint Mary - 32
5. St. Joseph's-L.I. (1) - 29
6. Old Westbury - 19
7. Purchase - 13
8. Sarah Lawrence - 7
First-place votes in parentheses
