From LBSU reports
A day after being ranked number 24 in the nation by USA Today, The Long Beach State softball team was picked to repeat as Big West champions in the 2009 preseason poll voted on by the league’s head coaches, the conference office announced Wednesday.
The 49ers claimed seven of the eight first-place votes and picked up 63 overall points to finish ahead of the pack. LBSU was followed by Cal State Fullerton, who earned 49 points, while Cal Poly and UC Santa Barbara, which claimed the remaining first-place tally, tied for third with 45 points each. Rounding out the poll were Pacific (28), UC Davis (26), Cal State Northridge (21) and UC Riverside (11).
LBSU returns 13 letterwinners from a 2008 squad that compiled a 40-17 overall record, won its sixth Big West Conference championship with a 15-6 mark, and made its 18th NCAA tournament appearance.
Leading the way in 2009 will be sophomore pitcher Brooke Turner, who is coming off a phenomenal freshman campaign in which she claimed Big West Pitcher of the Year, Big West Freshman Pitcher of the Year, first-team All-Big West, first-team All-West Region and second-team All-America honors.
Also back for The Beach are all-conference selections, Danielle Linke, Jennifer Griffin and Bridgette Pagano.
Long Beach State will kick off the 2009 campaign at the Cathedral City Classic from Feb. 6-8. The 49ers open the tournament against No. 22 Georgia.
2009 BIG WEST PRESEASON POLL
No. Team (1st place votes) Points
1. Long Beach State (7) 63
2. Cal State Fullerton 49
t-3. UC Santa Barbara (1) 45
t-3. Cal Poly 45
5. Pacific 28
6. UC Davis 26
7. Cal State Northridge 21
8. UC Riverside 11