LINK - ASHLAND UNIVERSITY SOFTBALL PAGE
Ashland University head softball coach Emlyn Knerem is looking for a climb up the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference standings this spring.
GLIAC head coaches are expecting that to be the case, as the Eagles have been chosen to finish fourth in the 2019 GLIAC preseason poll, released on Thursday (Feb. 7) morning. In 2018, Ashland was tied for fifth in the conference, finishing at 23-25 overall and 13-15 in the league.
Ashland received 42 voting points in this year's preseason poll. Grand Valley State (eight first-place votes, 64 points) is the expected GLIAC champion, followed by Davenport (one first-place vote, 56 points) and Saginaw Valley State (46 points).
Seven 2018 All-GLIAC performers return for the Eagles this season – second-teamers Kylie Asmus (senior first baseman), Camille Pollutro (junior second baseman), Paige Summers (senior third baseman), Cassie Haight (junior catcher) and Hannah Stroe (senior pitcher); and honorable mentions Erika Farst (senior center fielder) and Bree Gill (junior shortstop). Ashland also will be bolstered by the return of 2017 GLIAC Freshman of the Year Dayna Denner, a junior infielder/outfielder who missed nearly all of last season due to injury.
Ashland's 2019 season will begin on Feb. 22-23 with four games at the Lewis Dome Invitational. The Eagles' GLIAC schedule will commence on March 20 at 3 p.m. at Brookside Park in a doubleheader vs. Northwood.
2019 GREAT LAKES INTERCOLLEGIATE ATHLETIC CONFERENCE PRESEASON SOFTBALL POLL
|
RANK/TEAM |
FIRST-PLACE VOTES |
VOTING POINTS |
|
1. Grand Valley State |
8 |
64 |
|
2. Davenport |
1 |
56 |
|
3. Saginaw Valley State |
|
46 |
|
4. ASHLAND |
|
42 |
|
5. Purdue Northwest |
|
34 |
|
6. Northwood |
|
25 |
|
7. Wayne State |
|
22 |
|
8. Parkside |
|
19 |
|
9. Ferris State |
|
16 |
AU
SB/DS
