ELMHURST, Ill. – South Dakota State was picked fourth in the Summit League Softball Preseason Coaches Poll, released Thursday.
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ELMHURST, Ill. – South Dakota State was picked fourth in the Summit League Softball Preseason Coaches Poll, released Thursday.
Ali Herdliska was named a player to watch for the league.
“We have a strong core of veterans on our roster who know what it takes to win in the Summit League,” Jackrabbit head coach Krista Wood said. “We’re looking forward to a competitive season.”
SDSU received 14 points in the poll, three behind South Dakota, which had 17 points and one first-place vote. Atop the poll, reigning league champion North Dakota State is first with five first-place votes and 25 points, while Western Illinois garnered 20 tallies for second. Omaha (nine points) and IPFW (five votes) round out the rankings.
Herdliska, an All-Summit League performer from 2017, is back for her junior campaign after leading the Jackrabbits with a .338 average last year after starting all 54 games. The infielder racked up 18 doubles, six home runs and 36 RBIs while drawing 18 walks on the season.
The Jackrabbits carry an experienced lineup into the 2018 season, with 13 returners, including eight position starters and a starting pitcher. SDSU has 14 upperclassman on the roster (five seniors, nine juniors), blending the veterans with a promising group of underclassman.
South Dakota State opens the 2018 season Feb. 9-11 at the UNI Dome Tour-nament in Cedar Falls, Iowa.
Other players to watch include: Emily Ira, Western Illinois – P/OF, Jr.; Kelsey Marlow, Western Illinois – IF, Sr.; Jessica Nelson, Omaha – OF, Sr.; Jacquelyn Sertic, North Dakota State – P, Sr.; Lauren Watson, Fort Wayne – IF, Jr.; Emily Winckler, South Dakota – IF, Sr.
Photo from www.gojacks.com.
