GREAT MIDWEST ATHLETIC CONFERENCE
2014 Softball Preview and Preseason Coaches’ Poll
 
The 2014 Great Midwest Athletic Conference Softball season will be the G-MAC’s first season as an active NCAA Division II conference, and the field of competitive teams has expanded, doubling from its inaugural season in 2013 to eight members with the addition of Alderson Broaddus, Davis & Elkins, Kentucky Wesleyan, Ohio Valley, and Salem International.
 
Trevecca Nazarene University returns as the defending G-MAC Regular-Season and Tournament Champion, and has been tagged as the preseason favorites to capture the title again in 2014. The Trojans will have to step it up to work their way through a much deeper conference schedule to repeat as champion.
 
TNU edged G-MAC runner-up Cedarville in the preseason coaches poll, with newcomer Kentucky Wesleyan grabbing the third spot. Interesting enough, despite a 18-31 record in 2013, the Panthers went a perfect 4-0 against G-MAC Champion Trevecca in two separate doubleheaders.
 
A trio of WVIAC newcomers rank #4 - #6 in the preseason poll, and just randomly they are in alphabetical order and rank in the order they finished last season in the conference standings. Salem International and Ursuline round out the coaches poll as both struggled with current conference opponents last season, combined going 2-17.
 
G-MAC PRESEASON COACHES’ POLL

Rank	School	2013	vs. G-MAC
1.	Trevecca Nazarene University (6 First Place votes)	29-12	11-4
2.	Cedarville University (2 First Place votes)	26-21	8-8
3.	Kentucky Wesleyan College	18-31	4-0
4.	Alderson Broaddus University	23-24	3-3
5.	Davis & Elkins College	20-23	4-2
6.	Ohio Valley University	19-25	5-3
7.	Salem International University	13-31	2-8
8.	Ursuline College	9-23	0-9

NOTES FROM CAMPUS

Alderson Broaddus University: In 2012, the Battlers fell one game shy of .500 at 23-24 - though they entered the postseason conference tournament with a 23-22 regular-season record. Against their 2014 G-MAC opponents, AB managed a 3-3 record taking two from Salem International, splitting with Ohio Valley, and dropping two games to Davis & Elkins. Surprisingly, AB has been ranked above D&E in the preseason pool despite losing both games last season to the Senators by a combined score of 10-1.
 
The Battlers will have to replace a good amount of its offense as they lost five of their top six hitters, including their top three leading batting averages, and also their leading power hitter. Regan Drake will return after hitting .321 with 20 runs scored, four doubles, a triple, and a home run. She did drive in a team-high 40 runs and post 17 walks. Of the teams 18 home runs, only three return, and of their 51 doubles, only 14 return.
 
On the mound, a trio of pitchers made all 45 starts, but none of the three return in 2014. The team features no seniors and only two juniors. It appears the rest of the roster will be fresh faces.
 
Cedarville University: Cedarville is coming off its third-straight winning season, and third-straight season of winning 25 or more games. They will be looking to set a new standard in 2014, looking to earn its fourth-straight winning season for the first time in program history. Coming off a 26-21 record in 2013 and a runner-up finish in the G-MAC Conference Championship Tournament, CU returns 11 players and has brought in eight newcomers in hopes of replacing one big loss to the middle of the lineup in Kelsey Wilson who led the team with a .435 batting average. She is the all-time leader at Cedarville in hits, runs, RBI, and total bases.
 
Returning is senior Kelsey Chapman, who led the team with 38 RBI last year and the all-time leader in home runs at Cedarville, and juniors Rachel Bull and Courtnie Spain, who were both named to the G-MAC All-Conference Team. Bull led the team with 43 runs, 59 hits, 4 triples, and set a school record with 46 stolen bases. On the mound, Spain led the pitching staff with a 2.89 earned run average, 121 innings pitched, 132 strikeouts , and posted a 9-9 record as the teams #1. She is fourth all-time currently in school history with 243 strikeouts.
 
Coach Wes Rowe, in his seventh season as the coach of the Lady Jackets, is 15 wins away from becoming the all-time winningest softball coach at Cedarville. The current leader is Sue Carpenter, who totaled 162 wins in her seven seasons. With one senior and three juniors at the position players, it will be the sophomore and freshman classes that will be expected to step up and compete at a high level if Cedarville looks to make an appearance in the G-MAC tournament finals again in 2014.
 
Davis & Elkins College: The Senators, despite its #5 preseason ranking in conference, is in a good position to make a run at the top of the conference. D&E returns seven starters and has solid senior leadership in the pitching circle.
 
Kayla Whoolery, who hit .374 with 29 runs scored, five doubles, two home runs, and 22 RBI, and Corrine Carrington, who hit .349 with six doubles, and posted a .419 on-base percentage, will anchor the batting order for the Senators.
 
In the pitching circle, all four pitchers that made appearances last season return, led by Alanna Jones and Amber Appleby, who combined to make 41 of the 43 starts. Jones led the team with a 1.83 earned run average, 12 wins, 18 complete games, 137 strikeouts, and help opponents to a .196 batting average.
 
Despite the loss of their two top hitters, the Senators have the depth and experience returning to improve upon a season in which they went 20-23. Last season D&E won six-straight and then followed it up with six-straight losses. Finishing out the season, they split six double headers, won both games of a double header four times, and lost both five times. They never were over or under .500 by more than three games the entire season - and even then prior to the last game of the season it was never more than two games.
 
Kentucky Wesleyan College: The Panthers enter the Great Midwest Athletic Conference with some confidence, despite an overall record of 18-31. KWC defeated the defending championship Trojans of TNU four times last season in the only four games they played against future G-MAC opponents.
 
Returning to lead the team is Kelsey Miller, Kaci Ovelgoenner, and Mackenzie Weedman. Miller led the team with a .301 batting average, Ovelgoenner led the team in RBI and doubles, and Weedman led the team with 24 walks and 112 assists in the field at shortstop.
 
The Panthers will turn to a pair of freshman pitchers who come in off of tremendous high school careers as Casey Smith went 28-8 with a 1.32 ERA, and Jessica Carmon went 19-6 with a 2.35 ERA, both earning All-State honors.
 
With a lot of the conference getting its first look at Kentucky Wesleyan, and the anticipated battles between the Panthers and TNU, the 2014 season can provide KWC with an opportunity to turn its program around and compete for a title.
 
Ohio Valley University: The Fighting Scots enter the G-MAC after a 19-25 season in 2013, but did manage five wins in eight meetings with future G-MAC opponents last season. The issues for OVU this season will be replacing all three of their hitters that posted a .300 or better average. Madison Wallace returns as the leading hitter with 39 hits (.287 average), joined by Donna O’Bryant, recorded a team-high 26 RBI and is the leading returner with 17 runs scored.
 
As for the pitching staff, Wallace leads the way again, coming off a 6-6 season with a team-low 3.23 earned run average. The team will have to replace Ally Southall, who pitched a team-high 140 innings and had 122 strikeouts. She pitched over half of the innings on the season and had more than half of the team’s total strikeouts as well.
 
The team features two seniors, five juniors, and 11 sophomores and freshman combined. The Scots will rely on that youth to step up and gain experience early in the season as they prepare for G-MAC play.
 
Salem International University: The Tigers enter the Great Midwest Athletic Conference coming off a 13-31 season as an NCAA Independent member. The conference schedule will help establish the program and provide them a goal of competing for seeding and a postseason conference tournament title. SIU managed only two wins in ten games against 2014 G-MAC opponents last season, with a win over Cedarville and a win over Davis & Elkins.

Last season, the Tigers had six starters hit over .300 and only got out scored by 31 runs over 44 games - obviously less than a run a game. SIU utilized the long ball, recording 43 home runs on the season, compared to their opponents 26 homers. However, the difference came in walks (82-114) and strikeouts (233-93), leading to the close losses.

Lise Couturier returns for her final season, after recording 11 wins in 2012 and injury in 2013. At the plate, Courtney Kidwell and Katie Mangold will anchor the lineup. Kidwell hit nine home runs last season, while Mangold has a career average of .364 with 31 doubles, 19 home runs and 84 RBI. The team has 14 players returning and six newcomers to add depth where needed.

Trevecca Nazarene University: The Trojans will have a target on their backs all season as the defending conference champion. TNU has to overcome the loss of Breana Zeis, the G-MAC Offensive Player of the Year and five-time G-MAC Player of the Week. She led the team in almost every offensive category. With seven returning players, the Trojans will rely heavily on the eight incoming athletes in order to repeat as Champion.
 
In the pitching circle, Lindsey Stephens and Kelsey Kemp will see time, along with some newcomers most likely. Kemp struck out 86 hitters last season and finished the season 12-3, but isn’t expected to make as many appearances as last season. The main reason for this is that at the plate she performed, hitting .298 with 21 runs and 21 RBI.
 
Mackenzie Leding (.319 average with 11 doubles), Heather Shulter (.270 with 16 runs and 14 RBI), and Shelby Andrews (.337 with five doubles and three home runs) will help support Kemp at the plate, and Lindsey Stephens (9-4 with 53 strikeouts and 11 complete games) will help in the pitching circle, and by the way Stephens hit .343 with 12 doubles, 30 RBI and 21 runs.
 
The Trojans are still undefeated in conference action, though it is unlikely anyone in conference can work its way through a deep conference without a loss in 2014. The Trojans will go as far as the starting pitcher takes them, not only because of the success they have had in the pitching circle, but also because the two starting pitchers return as two of the top hitters as well on the team.
 
Ursuline College: The Arrows struggled last season with a limited roster, and it will take a group of nine newcomers to come in and replace the loss of six players, including the team’s most valuable offensive player. Team captain Natalie Huggins and junior Sam Roberts return and look to lead a roster of young talent (nine of 17 players are freshman) as they hope to climb closer to .500 in 2014.
 
Not very common and seemingly not important to the softball program, but a tornado that destroyed the Ursuline Gym, has been a factor for the softball team as the hitting cages and a majority of indoor practice was held in the gym during the winter months normally. This winter they have been practicing when and where they can to prepare.
 
Huggins, who started all 32 games last season, hit .281 and was clutch when needed. She hit .360 with runners in scoring position and drove in a run in six of her eight opportunities with a runner on third and less than two outs. With two outs, she hit .382. Roberts, who hit leadoff in all 28 games she played in, hit .286 while leading the team in hits and runs scored, with five multi-hit games.