Angelo State is the top choice to win a third straight Lone Star Conference softball title according to the preseason poll announced by league officials on Wednesday.
ASU received 12 of the 28 first-place votes for a total of 282 points in the poll decided by LSC coaches, sports information directors and various media representatives. The Rambelles, who won the South Central Regional title for the second straight year and sixth time overall, concluded the 2018 season at 53-9 overall with a 25-5 league mark en route to capturing the LSC crown for the eighth time and league tournament title for the seventh time.
West Texas A&M finished second in the poll with five first-place nods for 256 points to edge Tarleton State and Texas A&M-Commerce. The TexAnns ranked third with 255 points and four top votes, while the Lions were picked fourth with 253 points and five first-place tallies.
Cameron was fifth with 202 points and one top vote, Texas A&M- Kingsville sixth (176 and one first-place nod), while Midwestern State and Texas Woman’s tied for seventh (120). Eastern New Mexico (87), UT Permian Basin (65), and Western New Mexico (32) rounded out the poll.
ASU’s Taegan Kirk was tabbed LSC Preseason Player of the Year, while TSU’s Jordan Withrow earned LSC Preseason Pitcher of the Year acclaim.
Kirk, a senior catcher from Lubbock, Texas, played in all 62 games last season leading ASU in batting average (.407), doubles (19), and RBIs (66). Behind the plate, she earned LSC Golden Glove honors by throwing out 15 baserunners while recording a .990 fielding percentage. A first-team All-LSC selection, Kirk was among the LSC leaders in several categories, ranking second in doubles, and third in hits and RBIs last season.
Withrow, a junior pitcher from Trenton, Texas, was tabbed 2018 co-LSC Pitcher of the Year and Academic Player of the Year following a stellar sophomore campaign. She was 26-6 in the circle and led the league in wins, innings pitched (221.1) and strikeouts (252). Withrow became the first player in Tarleton history to strikeout 200 in a single season posting nine games with 10 or more strikeouts, including a season-high 13.
The 2019 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 3-4, at the No. 1 seed.
Here is a closer look at the voting breakdown:
| Rank |
LSC Softball |
1st |
TOTAL |
| 1 |
Angelo State |
12 |
282 |
| 2 |
West Texas A&M |
5 |
256 |
| 3 |
Tarleton State |
4 |
255 |
| 4 |
Texas A&M-Commerce |
5 |
253 |
| 5 |
Cameron |
1 |
202 |
| 6 |
Texas A&M-Kingsville |
1 |
176 |
| T7 |
Midwestern State |
|
120 |
| T7 |
Texas Woman's |
|
120 |
| 9 |
Eastern New Mexico |
|
87 |
| 10 |
UT Permian Basin |
|
65 |
| 11 |
Western New Mexico |
|
32 |