Softball: Bison tabbed third in PAC Preseason Poll

TRAFFORD, Pa. - Bethany College softball is picked to finish third in this season's PAC Preseason Softball Coaches' Poll, along with its Players to Watch list, released Thursday morning by the league office.

Defending champions Waynesburg University earned the top spot in the rankings with seven first-place votes and 97 points. Westminster placed second in this year's poll, collecting three first-place votes and 93 points.

Third through fifth places in the poll were separated by a mere two points, with Bethany College scoring 68 points to place third and edge out Saint Vincent in fourth place with 67 points and Geneva College in fifth with 66 points. Geneva also had one first-place vote.

Coming in sixth place was Grove City College with 53 points and Allegheny College, playing its first season in the PAC after coming over from the North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC), was seventh with 52 points. In eighth place was Washington & Jefferson College with 41 points, followed by Chatham University in ninth (35), Thiel College (19) and Franciscan University (14).

First year head coach Brian Daley inherits four All-PAC honorees led by junior pitcher, Josie Wise (Canton, Ohio /Perry) who earned All-PAC First Team honors last two seasons. She pitched 161.2 innings with an ERA of 1.91. Wise earned 15 wins in the circle while pitching 19 complete games and picked up one save. Her 183 strikeouts shattered the single-season strikeout record at Bethany and was a leagues'-best. She currently ranks fifth all-time on Bethany's strikeout career record.

Junior Destiny Goodnight (Youngstown, Ohio/Ursuline) and sophomore Haley Eyler (Waynesboro, Pa. /Waynesboro) both earned All-PAC Second Team. Senior Morgan Huey (Hermitage, Pa. /Hickory) earned All-PAC Honorable Mention.

The Bison have 11 returners and six newcomers. Last season, the Bison finished fourth in the PAC while making their second straight tournament appearance.

Joining Wise, Goodnight, and Huey on the PAC Players to Watch list is sophomore Mary Marshall (Steubenville, Ohio /Steubenville) and freshman Brooke Markland (Elizabeth, Pa. /Elizabeth Forward).

Bethany opens their season on Mar. 3 in Raleigh, N.C. for the Grand Slam Triangle Classic. The Bison will face Susquehanna at 10 a.m. and Kean at 2 p.m.