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Golden Hurricane Picked Second in C-USA Preseason Softball Poll
2/6/2007 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Feb. 6, 2007
Tulsa, Okla. - After winning its first Conference USA championship in 2006, The University of Tulsa softball team has been picked second in the 2007 pre-season poll by the league's coaches. The Golden Hurricane received two first place votes, finishing behind Houston, which received five first-place votes. The Cougars earned 76 points while Tulsa 68 points followed by Marshall in third which also picked up two first-place votes and 62 points.
Junior Sara Dyer and sophomore Brooke Smart were also selected to the pre-season all-conference teams. Dyer started all 58 games last season playing at first base, rightfield and designated player. She earned First-Team All-Conference USA honors last season, as well as First-Team All-WAC honors as a freshman. She tied for the team lead in doubles, while leading the squad in runs batted in last season.
Smart was named to three all-tournament teams last year, including the C-USA Championship after she hit a three-run walk-off home run with two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning of the championship game. Her 10 home runs last year led the team, while her 28 RBI were second-best for the Hurricane.
Tulsa opens the 2007 campaign on Feb. 8 at the Alexis Resort Kick-off Classic in Las Vegas, Nev. TU will open against host UNLV at 8 p.m., prior to facing Illinois-Chicago, Nicholls State and Pacific.
2007 Preseason Softball Poll
1. Houston (5)
2. Tulsa (2)
3. Marshall (2)
4. UAB
5. ECU
Memphis
7. Southern Miss
8. UTEP
9. UCF
All-Conference Team
Pos Name (Yr./School)
C Rachel Folden (Jr./Marshall)
IF Jessica Valis (So./Houston)
IF Kelly Lombard (Sr./UTEP)
IF Holly Krzan (Jr./UAB)
IF Bridgette McNulty (Sr./Memphis)
IF Erin St. Ledger (Jr./East Carolina)
OF Brooke Smart (So./Tulsa)
OF Lindsay Stanley (Sr./UAB)
OF Jennifer Fox (Jr./Southern Miss)
OF Beth Nolan (Jr./East Carolina)
P Angel Shamblin (Jr./Houston)
P Keli Harrell (Sr./East Carolina)
UT Leila Dolfo (So./Memphis)
UT Sara Dyer (Jr./Tulsa)
DP Samantha Rodriquez (Jr./Marshall)
DP Elaina Nordstrom (So./Houston)
