Complete A-10 Release
NEWPORT NEWS, VA. – The University of Dayton softball team was picked to finish sixth by Atlantic 10 softball coaches in the conference’s annual preseason softball poll.
“The fact that we are picked to finish in the top six in the Atlantic 10 Conference shows the growth of our program over the last few seasons,” University of Dayton Head Coach Cara LaPlaca said. “We are proud of the significant strides our team has recently taken. However, this preseason prediction provides us an opportunity to prove the kind of power and balance this 2012 squad has.”
The Flyers finished sixth last season after posting a 22-26 record overall and an 11-8 record in Atlantic 10 play. In addition, UD secured its first trip to the Atlantic 10 Tournament since 2000. Dayton’s win total was the most under LaPlaca, who is beginning her fifth season with the Flyers.
“We are expecting to compete for a championship and merely finishing in the top half of the A-10 Conference is no longer good enough,” LaPlaca said. “Considering the strength of the A-10 this season, with two member schools having returning All-American pitchers, this will be no small feat.”
Fordham was selected to repeat as A-10 champion. UMass was picked second and Saint Joseph’s was picked third. The remainder of the conference was picked in the following order: Charlotte (4th), Temple (5th), Dayton (6th), Saint Louis (7th), George Washington (8th), St. Bonaventure (9th), Rhode Island (10th) and La Salle (11th).
Dayton returns seven of its nine positional starters including NFCA All-Region selection Lauren Nacke, A-10 Second Team selection Kathleen Maloof and A-10 All-Rookie selection Alysha Isaacson. The Flyers also welcome a class of highly-touted recruits that includes Kayla English, Natalie Mariano, Tiffany Ricks as well as transfers Sydney Cicchetti and Leah Sitter.
“Our team is very committed to establishing long-term respect in the A-10 and within our region. We are excited about demonstrating an elite level of play each time we step on the field,” LaPlaca said.
The Flyers open the season on the road at the CenturyLink Classic in San Marcos, Texas on Friday, Feb. 17 against UT Arlington. UD opens its home schedule on Tuesday, March 20 against Detroit.
