EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. – The Ohio Valley Conference released its 2014 softball preseason poll Wednesday and SIUE was picked to finish first in the OVC West Division while garnering the most first-place votes of any team in the league.
The Cougars received 19 first-place votes from the OVC’s 12 head coaches and 12 sports information directors. No other team in the OVC West received more than two first-place votes.
Eastern Illinois, UT Martin, and Murray State were the other three programs in the OVC West Division to receive first-place votes.
Jacksonville State, the defending OVC Tournament champion, was picked to finish atop the OVC East Division, edging second-place Eastern Kentucky by just two points.
The Cougars will begin the 2014 season with four games at the LSU Tournament in Baton Rouge, La., Feb. 7-8. The OVC season kicks off March 15 when SIUE begins a three-game series against Austin Peay at Cougar Field.
2014 OVC SOFTBALL PREDICTED ORDER OF FINISH
(As voted on by the league’s head softball coaches and sports information directors)
EAST
1. Jacksonville State (12 first-place votes) – 120
2. Eastern Kentucky (12 first-place votes) – 118
3. Tennessee Tech – 86
4. Morehead State – 79
5. Belmont – 54
6. Tennessee State – 35
WEST
1. SIUE (19 first-place votes) – 129
2. Eastern Illinois (Two first-place votes) – 97
3. UT Martin (One first-place vote) – 93
4. Murray State (Two first-place votes) – 82
5. Austin Peay – 49
6. Southeast Missouri – 37
