Softball Fifth in GAC Preseason Poll

DURANT, Okla. – Southeastern softball will head into the 2019 season picked fifth in the Great American Conference preseason poll released on Tuesday.
 
The Savage Storm finished the 2018 season in third place after posting a 34-23 overall record and a 27-14 mark in GAC play.
 
SE returns four of its top five hitters from a season ago, led by first team all-conference and Freshman of the Year Elexis Watson who would go on to earn All-American honors at first base. She hit .394 a season ago with 16 home runs and 54 RBI along with a near SE record 19 doubles.
 
She is joined by Symphoni Shomo, Destiny Riddle, and Keeshia Thompson who each hit .346 or batter on the year, with Riddle and Thompson combining for 69 RBI, while Shomo led the conference in stolen bases with 42.
 
Southeastern brings in four new additions to bolster the 2019 roster, junior transfers Katie McCullar and Ivy Amador as well as freshmen Felicia Drake and Kamarie Wallace.
 
The Storm received 87 points in the poll, just three points behind fourth-place Henderson State and five points off third-place Harding.
 
Southern Arkansas is the league's preseason favorite with 121 points and 11 of the 12 first-place votes, while Arkansas Tech is in the number two spot with 110 points and the remaining first place nod.
 
Southern Nazarene is in sixth, 19 points behind SE, followed by East Central and Ouachita Baptist.
 
Northwestern Oklahoma State is in ninth, while Oklahoma Baptist, Arkansas-Monticello, and Southwestern Oklahoma State round out the preseason rankings.
 
Southeastern opens the 2019 season at the Arkansas Tech Invitational in Houston, Texas,, first taking on Pittsburg State at 3:30 p.m. on Feb. 1.