TU Softball Earns Pair of Preseason National Rankings
1/30/2018 12:13:00 PM | Softball
TULSA, Okla. — The University of Tulsa softball team will start the 2018 season ranked No. 20 in both of the sport's major top 25 polls, which were revealed on Tuesday morning.
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In the USA Today/NFCA Division I Top 25 Coaches Poll, the Golden Hurricane received a total of 165 points for its No. 20 ranking after finishing the 2017 campaign ranked No. 22. Meanwhile, TU earned 90 points in the ESPN.com/USA Softball Poll after also finishing last season at No. 22.
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Picked to repeat as American Athletic Conference Champions by the league's coaches, Tulsa returns 13 letterwinners, including seven starters and NFCA All-American pitcher Emily Watson, from last year's team. The 2017 team went 41-17 overall and 15-3 in conference action to win the program's first regular-season title since joining The American prior to the 2015 campaign. The squad went on to win The American Tournament for an automatic bid to its ninth NCAA Regional, where it fell to eventual national champion Oklahoma.
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Overall, the team returns three of its top four hitters, led by outfielder Julia Hollingsworth. The junior hit .365 last season with 48 runs scored, 66 hits, 10 doubles, two triples, five homers and 28 RBIs batting mostly in the leadoff spot of the order. In addition, the speedster stole a team-high 17 bases. Junior infielders Tori Stafford (.329/49 H/4 HR/20 RBI) and Morgan Neal (.288/51 H/1 HR/23 RBI) also return to help power the TU offense.
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In the circle, Watson put up one of the best seasons in program history with a 1.25 ERA and 30-6 record to go along with a pair of saves and 348 strikeouts in 246.2 innings of work. The conference's Pitcher of the Year, Watson led the nation with 14 shutouts and was named The American Pitcher of the Week a record eight times before becoming the sixth TU player to earn NFCA All-America honors.
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The Golden Hurricane will begin the 2018 campaign Feb. 9-11 with five games in three days at the Cowgirl Classic in Lake Charles, La. The season starts at 1 p.m. on Feb. 9 against Virginia.
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Players Mentioned
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