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2015 GULF SOUTH CONFERENCE SOFTBALL
Preseason Release | January 21, 2015
#GSCSB
Contact: Michael Stagno, Director of Media Relations | [email protected]
Phone: (205) 991-9880 | Fax: (205) 437-0505 | Twitter: @GulfSouth | Facebook: The Gulf South Conference | Instagram: @gscsports
VALDOSTA STATE VOTED PRESEASON FAVORITE
Birmingham, Ala. — The Valdosta State Blazers, looking to once again repeat and gunning for their seventh-straight
GSC Tournament Crown, will enter 2015 as the Gulf South Conference coaches’ preseason favorite.
Last season saw Valdosta State earn its sixth-straight GSC Tournament Title and advance through the NCAA Division II
Tournament to reach the final, falling just short to West Texas A&M, 2-3. The Blazers are in search for GSC Title, ‘Lucky
No. 7’ this season.
Both Lee and Mississippi College will soon be full-fledged members in 2015-16 and 2016-17, respectively. LU turned in a
24-24 (13-14 GSC) record last year, its first season in the GSC. Both Shorter and Union have completed the reclassification process for NCAA Division II and will join the GSC ranks as official members on opening day. The Hawks claimed the
2014 NCCAA National Tournament Title last year finishing 42-10 overall, including 22-5 in the conference.
Two new head coaches join the GSC in West Florida’s Melissa Paul and Mandi Balduf, Christian Brothers. UWF’s Paul
spent seven seasons as an assistant coach at Missouri and five season as head coach of Marist, where she was a student-athlete. Balduf, after seven successful seasons at Chowan, comes to CBU. She was a four-year starter at Tiffin and
after graduation, served a year in AmeriCorps in Kentucky, where she also was a volunteer assistant coach at Kentucky.
The 2014 Preseason All-GSC Team featured 15-total player, headlined by the 2014 GSC Player of the Year, Valdosta
State’s Courtney Albritton. She was also earned the GSC Commissioner’s Trophy and was named the NCAA’s Favorite
Elite 89 Student-Athlete. UAH turned in the most honorees with five, followed by VSU, with three. SU, Delta State and
North Alabama all had two each, while Union saw one to cement the team. The team is paced by six seniors, five sophomores and four juniors.
2015 GSC SOFTBALL PRESEASON COACHES’ POLL
Valdosta State, fresh off of its sixth-straight GSC Tournament Title, was again dubbed the top choice to win it all this
season, garnering 77 points from the coaches. Alabama Huntsville came in a close second with 71 points and earned
two first-place votes. Shorter, the 2014 NCCAA Tournament Champions (70 points) came in third and accumulated
three first-place votes, while North Alabama (58 points) and West Florida (46 points) rounded out the Top 5. Delta
State came in sixth (42 points), followed by; West Alabama (31 points), West Georgia (24 points), Union (22 points)
and Christian Brothers, with nine points.
SCHOOL
Valdosta State
Alabama Huntsville
Shorter
North Alabama
West Florida
Delta State
West Alabama
West Georgia
Union
Christian Brothers
1st
5
2
3
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
2nd
4
4
1
1
—
—
—
—
—
—
3rd
—
3
5
2
—
—
—
—
—
—
4th
—
—
—
6
4
—
—
—
—
—
5th
—
—
—
—
3
6
1
—
—
—
6th
—
—
—
—
1
3
3
1
2
—
7th
—
—
—
—
1
—
4
4
1
—
8th
9th
— —
— —
— —
— —
— —
— —
1 —
4
—
5
1
—
9
TOTAL
77
71
70
58
46
42
31
24
22
9
NOTE: The GSC Preseason Poll was voted on by the head coaches. Balloting that ended in a tie was not broken. Coaches were not allowed to vote for their own teams.
GSC Softball Preseason Release1
www.gscsports.org
2015 PRESEASON ALL-GSC TEAM
POS
UT
P/DH
IF
IF
P
P/IF
IF
P
OF
P/IF
OF
P
OF
UT
IF
NAME
Courtney Albritton
Maddie Bray
Kaitlyn Bannister
Ericka Bynum
Hillary Carpenter
Tyler Harrison
Victoria Frith
Kimberly Jack
Fran Johnson
Emily Glover
Kaitlin Moore
Kelly Robey
Kassidy Tally
Libby Olinger
Kiley Rusen
SCHOOL
VSU
SU
UAH
SU
UNA
UAH
UAH
UAH
VSU
UAH
DSU
UU
DSU
UNA
VSU
YEAR
Sr.
Sr.
So.
So.
So.
So.
Sr.
Jr.
Sr.
So.
Jr.
Sr.
Jr.
Sr.
Jr.
HOMETOWN
Sycamore, Ga.
Hixson, Tenn.
Albertville, Ala.
Ringgold, Ga.
Hatton, Ala.
Mobile, Ala.
Huntsville, Ala.
Knoxville, Tenn.
Macon, Ga.
Scottsboro, Ala.
Southaven, Miss.
New Madrid, Mo.
Raleigh, Miss.
Decatur, Ala.
Brookfield, Ill.
NOTE: The GSC Preseason Softball Team was selected by the head coaches. Balloting that ended in a tie was not broken. Coaches were not allowed to vote for their
own players.
2015 TOP NEWCOMERS TO THE GSC
OS
P
IF
C
OF
OF
IF
P/IF
2B
C
P
IF
OF
UT
OF
P
OF
IF
IF
OF
P
C
P
IF
OF
3B
NAME
SCHOOL
Michal Robertson
UAH
Abby Roberts
UAH
Holly Oyhenart
CBU
Leigh Ward
CBU
Kory Watterson
DSU
Katie Justice
DSU
NiaRaye Ceasar
LU
Emily Dagnan
LU
Carlie Sargent
MC
Madison Oliver
MC
Courtney Shields
UNA
Reagan Tittle
UNA
Niki Cook
SU
Amanda Blanchard
SU
Emily Bennett
UU
Madison Tennyson
UU
Jennifer Phillips
VSU
Brandy Morgan
VSU
Ashley Stassin
UWA
Treasure Rodriguez UWA
Kalyn Chapman
UWF
Kaylen Rowell
UWF
Katie Spinks
UWG
Maegan Coddington UWG
YEAR
Sr.
Jr.
Fr.
Sr.
Jr.
Fr.
Jr.
Jr.
Jr.
Jr.
Jr.
Fr.
Fr.
Fr.
Fr.
So.
Jr.
Fr.
r-So.
Jr.
Jr.
Fr.
Fr.
Fr.
HOMETOWN / LAST SCHOOL
Northport, Ala. / West Alabama
Clarksdale, Miss. / East Mississippi
Menifee, Calif. / Paloma Valley HS
Oriental, N.C. / Chowan
Nesbit, Miss. / Itawamba CC
Jasper, Ala. / Curry HS
Fairfield, Calif. / Mt. San Antonio
Jasper, Tenn. / Chattanooga State
Oxford, Ala. / Southern Union State CC
Ragland, Ala. / Southern Union State CC
Columbia, Ala. / Southern Union State CC
Lynn, Ala. / Lynn HS
Buford, Ga. / Buford HS
Royal Palm Beach, Fla. / Palm Beach Central HS
Dyersburg, Tenn. / Dyersburg HS
Jackson, Tenn. / South Side HS
Shalimar, Fla. / Northwest Florida State
Jasper, Fla. / Columbia HS
Menifee, Calif. / Middle Tennessee State
Sunnyvale, Calif. / San Jose City
Boonville, Ind. / Wabash Valley CC
Pensacola, Fla. / Tate HS
McDonough, Ga. / Union Grove HS
McDonough, Ga. / Ola HS
NOTE: Top Newcomers were submitted by the head coaches during the Preseason All-GSC nomination process. Players from both Lee and Mississippi College were
recognized, as games against both count toward the GSC standings, but neither school is eligible for the GSC Tournament.
GSC Softball Preseason Release2
www.gscsports.org