Alverno Tabbed for 10th in Preseason Coaches' Poll (02/19/08) -- Aurora University's softball team has been selected to win the 2008 Northern Athletics Conference Championship according to the preseason coaches' poll. The Spartans, who won both the NAC regular season and tournament championships in 2007, received eight of the 13 first place votes for 164 poll points. Aurora finished with a 35-8 overall record last season which included a 21-1 conference mark. Lakeland College received four first place votes and totaled 156 poll points. The Muskies finished second in the conference last season with an 18-4 record (27-12 overall). Leading the Muskies will be 2007 NAC Rookie of the Year Sara Roberts. Roberts compiled a 19-7 record and 1.67 ERA in 29 appearances last year. She pitched a perfect game and two additional no-hitters in her debut season. Rounding out the top three is Marian College, selected third with 140 poll points. The Sabres finished 2007 with a 24-14 overall record and 16-6 in the NAC. Edgewood College, which received the remaining first place vote, is picked to finish fourth. The Eagles (24-18, 14-8 NAC) were runners-up to Aurora in the 2007 NAC Tournament. Benedictine University (21-20-1, 15-7) is selected fifth, Concordia University Wisconsin (19-23, 13-9) sixth and Wisconsin Lutheran College (12-21, 10-12) seventh. Dominican University (8-22, 6-16) and Rockford College (10-28, 6-16) both tallied 59 poll points and are picked eighth. Alverno College (9-25, 6-16) is tabbed 10th, Concordia University Chicago (9-28, 4-18) 11th, MSOE (0-27) 12th and Maranatha Baptist Bible College (8-28, 3-19) 13th. Alverno begins the 2008 campaign at the Gene Cusic Collegiate Classic in Fort Myers, FL from March 20-25. |
