Fontbonne Tops Pre-Season Coaches Poll

ST. LOUIS - Fontbonne University has been picked as the pre-season favorite in the 2010 SLIAC Softball Coaches' Pre-Season Poll. The Griffins, who posted a record of 21-18 overall, 11-3 in conference play and shared a three-way tie of the regular season SLIAC title last season, received five first place votes.

Fontbonne head coach Bill Rosner returns a veteran squad that includes senior shortstop Sam Pecher and senior outfielder Katy Mueller. Pecher posted a .274 batting average last season with 34 hits, five doubles and a team-high 22 RBI. Mueller was a First Team All-SLIAC selection in 2009 and led the Griffins with a .371 batting average. She also had a team-high 39 hits, six doubles and two triples. Returning on the mound for Fontbonne is First Team All-SLIAC honoree, sophomore Ana Hibbeler. She went 8-3 last season with a 1.69 ERA in 87.0 innings of work, while also recording 61 strikeouts.

Webster University (26-18, 11-3) received three first place votes in the poll and ranked second overall. The Gorloks are the defending SLIAC Tournament Champions and finished in a three-way tie for the regular season title last season with Fontbonne and former SLIAC member Maryville University. Returning for the Gorloks are outfielder Cassie Mosier, pitcher/outfielder Megan Sperry and first baseman Sam Dittmann. Mosier, a senior, was a First Team All-SLIAC selection in 2009 and hit .318 at the plate with 47 hits. Sperry earned Second Team All-SLIAC honors at pitcher and finished the season with a 14-6 record and an 1.43 ERA in 127.2 innings on the mound. She also hit .327 with 51 hits. Dittmann tallied 18 RBI last year and posted a .223 batting average.

Greenville College was picked third in the poll. The Panthers were 14-20 overall last season, 7-7 in conference play and just missed qualifying for the SLIAC Tournament last season. Westminster College rounds out the top four in the poll. The Blue Jays went 12-22 overall, 8-6 in conference play and were the #4-seed in the SLIAC Tournament in 2009.