VWC Earns Nine First Place Votes, LC with Remaining Two

FOREST, Va. --- Two-time defending ODAC champion Virginia Wesleyan College earned nine first place votes and 99 total points to stand atop the 2015 ODAC Softball Preseason Poll.  Lynchburg College secured second place with 92 points and the remaining two top nods from the league's head coaches.  Randolph-Macon College rounds out the top three with 80 tallies.

Virginia Wesleyan needed just four games to claim its eighth overall ODAC title in 2014, tying Roanoke College for the most in conference history.  The Marlins topped Randolph-Macon, which after losing to VWC on Saturday morning, rattled off three wins before falling to Marlins, 5-2, in the title game.

Lynchburg joined Virginia Wesleyan in the NCAA Division III Tournament as an at-large selection.  The Hornets, playing in a regional at Emory University, dropped its opening game to Piedmont College, 6-4.  They rebounded with a 6-1 triumph over Agnes Scott College early on Saturday, but were eliminated via a second loss to Piedmont, 2-0, later in the day.

Virginia Wesleyan hosted its regional and opened with a 9-3 victory over SUNY-Staten Island.  The Marlins fell to Christopher Newport University, 7-6, in game two, but extended its tournament stay with a 6-3 win over Catholic University.  A second loss to CNU eliminated the Marlins, 8-5, on the final day.

Fields across the ODAC will not be short of star power as 22 of the 36 All-ODAC selections return this season.  Five of those wear Virginia Wesleyan (39-7 overall, 18-2 in ODAC play in 2014) uniforms, including a trio of All-ODAC First Team choices.  Reigning ODAC Coach of the Year, Brandon Elliott, enjoys the return of 2014 ODAC Pitcher of the Year, Kristina Karagiorgis (21-5, 1.21 ERA, 3 SV, 150.0 IP, 143 K).  Karagiorgis is 10th in ODAC history with 50 career wins.  Her battery mate, Taylor Galvin (.340 BA, 12 RBI), is back behind the dish, while Kayla Dost (.366, 8 2B, 4 HR, 41 RBI) returns to the hot corner.  National stolen bases leader, second baseman Kayla Malkos (.378, 3 3B, 23 RBI, 52 SB), and outfielder Courtney Bogan (.366, 3 3B, 16 RBI, 26 SB) earned All-ODAC Third Team spots.  Mary Shipp (2-1, 2.94, 5 SV, 33.1 IP, 23 K) looks for an increased workload as the ODAC saves leader made all but two of her 22 appearances in relief.  The Marlins open the season tied for 12th in the NFCA preseason coaches' poll.

Lynchburg (31-16, 15-5) welcomes back all but one key player from last season's squad.  That includes a trio from the All-ODAC Second Team.  Hope Johnson (8-7, 3.14, 2 SV, 96.0 IP, 73 K) will again toe the rubber, while Jessi Hall (.381, 3 3B, 10 RBI, 26 SB) takes up her familiar spot in left field.  Amber Ingram stood out both at the dish (.306, 9 HR, 37 RBI) and in the circle (16-5, 2.95, 125.2 IP, 99 K).  Elizabeth Fioretti (5-4, 3.71 ERA, 62.1 IP, 54 K) gives LC a trio of experienced arms to call upon, while Danielle Powell (.384, 8 2B, 6 HR, 48 RBI), Kayla St. John (.376, 13 2B, 3 HR, 31 RBI) and Skylar Seals (.317, 29 RBI) add pop on the corners of the Hornets' infield.  Shortstop Nicole Riley (.233, 10 RBI) keeps LC strong up the middle.

Randolph-Macon (26-12, 12-8) features three all-conference stars in its quest to return to the ODAC title game.  Shortstop Sharese Jarvis (.377, 9 2B, 6 HR, 31 RBI) was a first team choice, while outfielder Amanda Sopko (.376, 8 2B, 2 HR, 10 RBI, 15 SB) and pitcher Kelsey McLaughlin (16-7, 2.64, 145.2 IP, 76 K) earned second and third team recognition, respectively.  Former All-ODAC catcher Madison Gilman (.256, 3 HR, 18 RBI) is back, as is first baseman Katie Woody (.304, 5 HR, 31 RBI).

Guilford College (29-15, 10-10) welcomes back a plethora of talent, led by first team utility player Marty Wilcox (.403, 4 3B, 11 HR, 51 RBI).  Laura Hall (.275, 9 RBI, 10 SB), Brooks Bray (.357, 2 HR, 13 RBI) and Calli Pastor (.265, 17 RBI) all return to GC's outfield, while first baseman Rachel Howard (.427, 8 2B, 6 HR, 38 RBI) and shortstop Taylor Boyd (.333, 10 2B, 28 RBI) shore up the Quakers infield.  The squad's two leading hurlers also return in Maggie Shaffer (14-8, 3.13, 1 SV, 127.2 IP, 69 K) and Rebekah Langston (9-2, 3.11, 78.2 IP, 56 K).

Randolph College (27-15, 13-7) has a pair back from the all-conference teams, including first team choice and ODAC Rookie of the Year, first baseman Hunter Glavè (.444, 14 2B, 6 HR, 43 RBI).  Utility player Jessica Nowak (.333, 9 2B, 22 RBI) earned a third team spot in 2014.  Erin Wehran (.281, 6 RBI) heads back to the WildCats' outfield, while Patti Vinson (.252, 19 RBI) returns to third base.  Hannah Winfree (8-3, 3.74, 97.1 IP, 58 K) is the top returning pitcher.

Eastern Mennonite University (18-18-1, 10-9-1) and Emory & Henry College (23-15, 9-11) combine to return seven all-conference honorees.  Outfielder Aislinn Lucas (.407, 3 HR, 15 RBI) was a first team choice for the Royals.  Catcher Nicolette Cuevas (.309, 17 RBI) and third baseman Mariah Foltz (.310, 10 2B, 29 RBI) picked up second team honors.  First baseman Angelia Miller (.326, 10 RBI) and pitchers Jordan Aylor (6-8, 5.61 ERA, 88.2 IP, 50 K) and Cara Neikirk (5-7, 3.87, 85.0 IP, 43 K) also return.  E&H, the most improved team in all of NCAA Division III in 2014, enjoys the return of all four of its All-ODAC performers.  Roxanne Hillman (.380, 11 RBI) earned a second team spot at DP, while catcher Jordan Chrisley (.396, 9 2B, 20 RBI), first baseman Taylor Doss (.389, 9 2B, 3 3B, 5 HR, 31 RBI) and third baseman Ragan Halsey (.303, 8 2B, 16 RBI) were tabbed to the third team.  Outfielder Hannah Bays (.321, 4 HR, 21 RBI) and both starting pitchers also return.

Bridgewater College (20-19-1, 8-11-1) welcomes new coach Kim McCall back to the ODAC as she takes over the Eagles' reins, while Shenandoah University (10-23, 8-12) looks to rebound from last season and duplicate its efforts from 2013 that saw the Hornets' reach the conference championship game.  BC features third team pitcher Brianna Cox (12-9, 2.15, 120.1 IP, 57 K), as well as outfielders Brooke Throckmorton (.226, 11 RBI) and Katie Burgess (.322, 11 RBI).  Amanda Lutz (6-8, 3.64, 65.1 IP, 23 K) also returns to the circle.  SU looks for a resurgence from former ODAC Rookie of the Year, outfielder Kimberly Brady (.289, 4 3B, 11 RBI).  She's joined by first baseman Lindsay Corbin (.233, 3 3B, 6 HR, 20 RBI) and pitchers Megan Tripp (5-11, 4.04, 93.2 IP, 28 K) and Lisa Mitro (3-5, 4.14, 66.0 IP, 31 K).  Corbin also spent time on the rubber (2-7, 4.77, 51.1 IP, 22 K).

Roanoke College (11-26, 6-14) and Sweet Briar College (4-25, 0-20) look to make the climb up the ODAC ladder.  Former 30-game winner Kelly Higbie (7-16, 3.49, 148.1 IP, 70 K) leads RC from the circle.  She enters the season sixth in all-time wins in the ODAC with 54, just 15 from tying former VWC righty Brittaney Brown for tops in the league.  Outfielder Rhea Schleicher (.325, 5 HR, 16 RBI) is also back, as is second baseman and lead-off hitter Taylor Sutherland (.248, 9 RBI) and outfielder Emily Lawrence (.290, 4 HR, 19 RBI).  The Vixens welcome back three to their infield.  Shorstop Amanda Terry (.306, 11 RBI), first baseman Kayla Dooms (.265, 5 RBI) and third baseman Hollie Halford (.191, 5 RBI) were three of SBC's top four hitters last season.  Molly Langford (2-13, 10.31, 72.2 IP, 10 K) returns to the circle.

Listed below is the full 2015 ODAC Softball Preseason Poll.  For more information on ODAC softball, visit any of the participating school's websites, or go to the ODAC's home on the Internet at www.odaconline.com.  Don't forget to become a fan of the ODAC on Facebook.  You can also follow the ODAC on Twitter @odacathletics.