PINE BLUFF, Ark. – The University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff Lady Lions' softball team was recently picked third in the Southwestern Athletic Conference's Western-Division by conference coaches and sports information departments.
The predicted third-place finish, the highest such preseason nod in the programs' history, was also where the Lady Lions' finished last season.
In the Western division, Southern collected 11 first-place votes en route to collecting 77 voting points. Grambling State (two first-place votes) was second with 57 points, while UAPB (one first-place vote) was third with 47 points. Texas Southern (one first-place vote) was fourth with 43 votes and Prairie View A&M (two first-place votes) tallied 31 votes to round out the division.
“I realize that at this point, preseason rankings don't mean a whole lot,” UAPB second-year coach Tim Munn said. “But nevertheless it's still nice to receive some recognition from your fellow coaches. But as the old sports' adage goes, it's not where you start it's where you finish that really matters.”
In the Eastern Division, Mississippi Valley State was picked first, followed by Jackson State, Alcorn State, Alabama State and Alabama A&M.
UAPB officially opens the 2010 season on Friday, February 12 with a doubleheader against Central Baptist at Conway.
