AUGUSTA, GA -- The Columbus State Lady Cougars have been
selected as the Peach Belt Conference softball favorite in 2008
according to a poll of the league’s head coaches released on
Friday. CSU received six of a possible nine first-place votes in
the poll and finished with 73 points, six ahead of second-place
North Georgia. GCSU was selected third and Augusta State came in
fourth. Armstrong Atlantic State, Francis Marion, USC Aiken, UNC
Pembroke, Lander and Georgia Southwestern rounded out the voting.
Columbus State is coming off a milestone season in 2007 that saw
the team post an eye-popping 58-5 record, 18-2 in conference play
and reach the semifinal round of the national championships. The
PBC Champions and Tournament Champs last year, the Lady Cougars
lost eight players from that team, but return pitcher Rachel Darr
who was 27-2 last year with an 0.92 ERA and outfielder Cassie
Cooper who hit .335 with six home runs.
North Georgia enters their first season of full NCAA membership,
but served notice that they would compete with a 36-19 record last
year, including a 12-8 conference mark. Eight players return for
the Saints, but the team will be very young with lone senior Krista
Bess coming back to center field and Jessica Skeels, who hit .352
last season, in left.
GCSU finished third in the PBC standings in 2007 with a 13-7
conference mark and 35-21 overall record. Returning for the Lady
Bobcats is All-Conference pitcher Mandy Chandler, who already owns
the GCSU record for wins and strikeouts despite just two seasons
under her belt. GCSU will have to replace three starters, including
two-time All-American Deidra Baitey.
The 2008 coaches poll is listed below. Teams received nine points
for a first-place vote, eight for a second and so on. Coaches were
not allowed to rank their own teams.
The 2008 softball season begins on Feb. 1 with PBC play commencing
Feb. 9 and continuing on to the PBC Tournament April 18-20 at the
Freedom Florence Complex in Florence, S.C.
To see a team-by-team preview of the 2008 season, click here.
2008 PBC Coaches Softball
Poll
| Rank
| Team
| 1st
| 2nd
| 3rd
| 4th
| 5th
| 6th
| 7th
| 8th
| 9th
| Total
|
| 1.
| Columbus State
| 6
| 1
| 0
| 1
| 1
| 0
| 0
| 0
| 0
| 73
|
| 2.
| North Georgia
| 2
| 4
| 1
| 1
| 0
| 1
| 0
| 0
| 0
| 67
|
| 3.
| GCSU
| 2
| 1
| 3
| 1
| 2
| 0
| 0
| 0
| 0
| 63
|
| 4.
| Augusta State
| 0
| 3
| 2
| 2
| 1
| 1
| 0
| 0
| 0
| 59
|
| 5.
| Armstrong Atlantic State
| 0
| 1
| 4
| 0
| 2
| 2
| 0
| 0
| 0
| 54
|
| 6.
| Francis Marion
| 0
| 0
| 0
| 5
| 3
| 0
| 1
| 0
| 0
| 48
|
| 7.
| USC Aiken
| 0
| 0
| 0
| 0
| 1
| 6
| 2
| 0
| 0
| 35
|
| 8.
| UNC Pembroke
| 0
| 0
| 0
| 0
| 0
| 0
| 5
| 3
| 1
| 22
|
| 9.
| Lander
| 0
| 0
| 0
| 0
| 0
| 0
| 2
| 7
| 0
| 20
|
| 10.
| Georgia Southwestern
| 0
| 0
| 0
| 0
| 0
| 0
| 0
| 0
| 9
| 9
|
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