Feb. 17, 2009

Center Valley, Pa.--Lehigh was picked first in the 2009 Patriot League Softball Preseason Poll with 50 points and 10 first-place votes. Lafayette and Bucknell earned the remaining first-place votes with one apiece. Lafayette was picked second with 40 points, followed by the Bison with 32 points. Rounding out the poll in order were Colgate (28 points), Army (18), and Holy Cross (12). The poll is voted on by head coaches and sports information directors, who can not vote for their own team. Votes were taken prior to the start of the season.

Lehigh has captured at least a portion of the Patriot League regular-season title the last 10 seasons and outright in the last nine. Head Coach Fran Troyan's team won the 2008 Patriot League Tournament, a year after its three-year tournament winning streak was snapped. Senior Lisa Sweeney returns as the Mountain Hawks' top threat on the mound and at the plate. Last season, Sweeney became the first student-athlete in Patriot League softball history to be named both the Patriot League Player of the Year and Patriot League Pitcher of the Year. She earned Pitcher of the Year honors for the third time in her career while leading the Patriot League in wins (26), ERA (1.71) and strikeouts (304). She backed her abilities in the circle with a .414 batting average and 13 home runs. She was the only player to start all 57 games in the Mountain Hawks' run to the NCAA Tournament.

Lafayette returns five All-Patriot League players from last year's squad, which recorded a program-record 27 victories. The Leopards finished 27-24 overall and 13-7 in Patriot League play under third-year coach Jeanine Gunther. Lafayette qualified for the Patriot League Tournament for the second consecutive season, finishing as runner-up to Lehigh. Junior Kasey Karr was selected to the All-League First Team as a designated player and was named to the Second Team as a pitcher. She batted .315 and led the team with eight home runs. In the circle, she ranked fourth in the League with a 3.23 ERA and struck out a career-best 88 batters.

Bucknell entered the 2009 campaign a year removed from finishing 23-29 overall and 13-7 in Patriot League play. Junior third baseman Mary Pavlovich returns after being named Second-Team All-Patriot League as a sophomore. Pavlovich owned a .368 average in League games with 14 runs scored and 11 RBI. For the year, she only committed three errors at third base for a .964 fielding percentage. The Bison advanced to the Patriot League Tournament, where they were ousted by Lafayette. The Bison are currently 3-3 this season.

A year removed its 2007 Patriot League championship, Colgate finished 2008 with a 7-13 Patriot League record and a 10-23 overall mark. Senior outfielders Ashley Rowe and Tiana Tyeskey will anchor the Raiders' lineup this season. Rowe was second in the Patriot League with a .392 batting average in all games, coming up with 12 RBI and eight runs, while Tyeskey hit .381 with 18 runs and 14 RBI.

Head Coach Jim Flowers has guided Army to 15 Patriot League Tournament appearances, including runner-up finishes from 2003-2006. The Black Knights are coming off a 2008 season in which they finished 13-39 overall and 8-12 in Patriot League competition. The Black Knights must replace the losses of four All-League players from a year ago. Army is currently 1-4 in 2009. Jessi Muckelroy, who was second on the team in ERA last season, is currently 1-2 with a 3.38 ERA.

Holy Cross will be under the direction of second-year Head Coach Brian Claypool. Natalie Cruz returns as the lone four-year veteran for the Crusaders. In 2008, Cruz played 40 games and started in 35 of them. She ended the season with a .250 batting average and tallied 24 hits with four doubles, two triples and two home runs. She also recorded a team-high 44 strikeouts from the pitchers' circle.

The 2009 Patriot League softball season is currently underway, with Bucknell and Army earning wins last weekend. All six teams will be in action by the first week in March. The Patriot League portion of the season will kick off Saturday, March 28 and will culminate at the 2008 Patriot League Tournament, which will take place Thursday-Saturday, May 7-9 at the site of the highest seed.

2008 Patriot League Softball Preseason Poll

1. Lehigh (10 first-place votes), 50 points

2. Lafayette (1), 40

3. Bucknell (1), 32

4. Colgate, 28

5. Army, 18

6. Holy Cross, 12