Softball Picked to Finish Third in ACC Preseason Poll
February 08, 2016 | Softball
Cards receive 74 points to tie with North Carolina State for third place in ACC preseason coaches poll
The University of Louisville softball team was picked to finish third in the Atlantic Coast Conference in a as voted by the league's 11 head coaches.
Two-time defending conference champion Florida State was picked to win the league with nine first place votes after finishing the 2015 season with a 48-12 overall record and a 20-3 mark in ACC play. Notre Dame received 92 points and two first-place votes to stand at second in the preseason poll. The Irish are coming off of a 42-15 campaign and went 17-6 in the conference last season and finished third in the ACC.
Louisville and North Carolina State tied for third with 74 points each. The Cardinals finished the 2015 season with a 30-19 overall record and went 16-7 to finish fourth in the ACC. The Cardinals went on to make their 12th consecutive NCAA regional appearance.
North Carolina State posted a 38-20 (13-8) record in 2015 and finished fifth in the ACC regular season standings. North Carolina, Virginia Tech, Pittsburgh, Boston College, Syracuse, Georgia Tech and Virginia rounded out the final seven spots in the preseason poll.
About Louisville
The Cardinals return 12 letterwinners and six starters from last year's squad including seniors Morgan Hart, Hailey Smith, Brittany Sims and All-ACC first team selection junior Maryssa Becker. Additionally, Louisville welcomes 10 newcomers including five freshmen and five transfers.
In their inaugural ACC season, the Cardinals won six of their eight conference series and finished with a 16-7 mark in league play and fourth in the regular season standings. The Louisville/Florida State series ended at 1-1 after the deciding game was rained out. Virginia Tech was the only team to win a series, sweeping the Cards in three games in Blacksburg.
Louisville will open the 2016 season this weekend at the Texas A&M Corpus Christi Islanders Invitational where they will face Sam Houston State, Iowa and Texas A&M Corpus Christi throughout the tournament slated for Feb. 12-14.
The ACC in the national polls
In the Preseason USA Today/NFCA Coaches Poll, the ACC is represented by No. 10 Florida State, No. 23 NC State and No. 24 Notre Dame with North Carolina, Louisville and Pittsburgh are each receiving votes.
The ESPN.com/USA Softball Collegiate Top 25 also lists Florida State as No. 10 and NC State as No. 25 with Notre Dame, Virginia Tech and North Carolina receiving votes.
ACC Softball Preseason Coaches' Poll
1. Florida State - 99 points (9 first-place votes)
2. Notre Dame - 92 (2)
T3. Louisville - 74
T3. NC State - 74
5. North Carolina - 69
6. Virginia Tech - 52
7. Pittsburgh - 51
8. Boston College - 30
9. Syracuse - 27
10. Georgia Tech - 24
11. Virginia - 13
Fans can follow Louisville Softball on Twitter (@UofLsoftball) at https://twitter.com/UofLSoftball and on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/LouisvilleSoftball
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Two-time defending conference champion Florida State was picked to win the league with nine first place votes after finishing the 2015 season with a 48-12 overall record and a 20-3 mark in ACC play. Notre Dame received 92 points and two first-place votes to stand at second in the preseason poll. The Irish are coming off of a 42-15 campaign and went 17-6 in the conference last season and finished third in the ACC.
Louisville and North Carolina State tied for third with 74 points each. The Cardinals finished the 2015 season with a 30-19 overall record and went 16-7 to finish fourth in the ACC. The Cardinals went on to make their 12th consecutive NCAA regional appearance.
North Carolina State posted a 38-20 (13-8) record in 2015 and finished fifth in the ACC regular season standings. North Carolina, Virginia Tech, Pittsburgh, Boston College, Syracuse, Georgia Tech and Virginia rounded out the final seven spots in the preseason poll.
About Louisville
The Cardinals return 12 letterwinners and six starters from last year's squad including seniors Morgan Hart, Hailey Smith, Brittany Sims and All-ACC first team selection junior Maryssa Becker. Additionally, Louisville welcomes 10 newcomers including five freshmen and five transfers.
In their inaugural ACC season, the Cardinals won six of their eight conference series and finished with a 16-7 mark in league play and fourth in the regular season standings. The Louisville/Florida State series ended at 1-1 after the deciding game was rained out. Virginia Tech was the only team to win a series, sweeping the Cards in three games in Blacksburg.
Louisville will open the 2016 season this weekend at the Texas A&M Corpus Christi Islanders Invitational where they will face Sam Houston State, Iowa and Texas A&M Corpus Christi throughout the tournament slated for Feb. 12-14.
The ACC in the national polls
In the Preseason USA Today/NFCA Coaches Poll, the ACC is represented by No. 10 Florida State, No. 23 NC State and No. 24 Notre Dame with North Carolina, Louisville and Pittsburgh are each receiving votes.
The ESPN.com/USA Softball Collegiate Top 25 also lists Florida State as No. 10 and NC State as No. 25 with Notre Dame, Virginia Tech and North Carolina receiving votes.
ACC Softball Preseason Coaches' Poll
1. Florida State - 99 points (9 first-place votes)
2. Notre Dame - 92 (2)
T3. Louisville - 74
T3. NC State - 74
5. North Carolina - 69
6. Virginia Tech - 52
7. Pittsburgh - 51
8. Boston College - 30
9. Syracuse - 27
10. Georgia Tech - 24
11. Virginia - 13
Fans can follow Louisville Softball on Twitter (@UofLsoftball) at https://twitter.com/UofLSoftball and on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/LouisvilleSoftball
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Players Mentioned
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