Angelo State is favored to repeat as Lone Star Conference softball champions according to the preseason poll announced by league officials on Wednesday.
ASU received 29 of the 33 first-place votes for a total of 359 points in the poll decided by LSC coaches, sports information directors and various media representatives. The Rambelles concluded the 2017 season at 60-7 overall, which is the most wins in program history and matches the record in the Lone Star Conference, with a 26-3 league mark. ASU finished as the NCAA Division II runner-up after winning the South Central Regional title for the fifth time and LSC crown for the seventh time.
West Texas A&M, the defending LSC tournament champions, finished second in the poll with three first-place nods for 306 points, in front of Texas Woman’s, who was tabbed third with 267 points and the remaining top vote. Tarleton State ranked fourth with 257.
Cameron was fifth with 250 points, Texas A&M-Commerce sixth (223), Texas A&M-Kingsville seventh (170), and Midwestern State eighth (135). Eastern New Mexico (108), UT Permian Basin (64), and Western New Mexico (39) rounded out the poll.
A&M-C’s Mariah Jameyson was named LSC Preseason Player of the Year, while ASU’s Brandy Marlett was a near unanimous LSC Preseason Pitcher of the Year selection.
Jameyson, a senior catcher from Seattle, Washington, played in all 54 games with 53 starts at catcher last season. She ranked third in RBIs (70) and fourth in home runs (20) in Division II. Jameyson led the LSC in slugging percentage (.868) and finished fifth in hits (68) to earn LSC Newcomer of the Year and first-team All-LSC honors in addition to being the first All-American in program history.
Marlett, a senior pitcher from Henderson, Nevada, posted a LSC best 29 wins, which ranked sixth in Division II, with eight shutouts and a 1.36 ERA last season. In addition to the most wins, she led the LSC in opposing batting average (.163), innings pitched (232.1), and strikeouts (306). Marlett had a career-best and ASU single game record 17 strikeouts three times to earn LSC Pitcher of the Year, first-team All-LSC, and All-American recognition.
The 2018 season starts February 1 with 11 LSC teams playing a single round-robin schedule with a three-game series against each league opponent. The three-game series shall consist of one-game Friday and a doubleheader Saturday.
The overall LSC Champion will be the team(s) with the best winning percentage in regular-season conference games, while the winner of the postseason championship will be recognized as LSC Tournament Champion and receive the league’s automatic qualification into NCAA postseason. The single-elimination championship featuring the top six teams will be played May 4-5, at the No. 1 seed.
Here is a closer look at the voting breakdown:
| Rank |
LSC Softball |
1st |
TOTAL |
| 1 |
Angelo State |
29 |
359 |
| 2 |
West Texas A&M |
3 |
306 |
| 3 |
Texas Woman's |
1 |
267 |
| 4 |
Tarleton State |
|
257 |
| 5 |
Cameron |
|
250 |
| 6 |
Texas A&M-Commerce |
|
223 |
| 7 |
Texas A&M-Kingsville |
|
170 |
| 8 |
Midwestern State |
|
135 |
| 9 |
Eastern New Mexico |
|
108 |
| 10 |
UT Permian Basin |
|
64 |
| 11 |
Western New Mexico |
|
39 |