By Justin Grones (@JustinGrones)
GreenBayPhoenix.com
GREEN BAY, WIS. (GreenBayPhoenix.com) - The Green Bay women's softball team,
which opens the 2013 season today at the UNI Dome Tournament in Cedar Falls,
Iowa, was tabbed to finish fifth in the 2013 Horizon League Preseason poll, the
league office announced this week.
The Phoenix finished 23-28 overall and
11-12 in the Horizon League last season, defeating third-seeded UIC in the
opening round of the 2012 Horizon League Softball Championship. Green Bay was
then dealt losses by eventual runner-up Loyola and Youngstown State.
Loyola was selected to finish first
overall with 48 points and six first-place votes, while last year's champions
Valparaiso came in at third with one first-place vote.
"Our coaching staff has been doing a
wonderful job of preparing this team to compete every minute and never give up,"
head coach Jean Rivett said. "We
have been instilling a sense of confidence each and every day in the minds of
our players so they can always have a desire to succeed."
Green Bay will be led by second-team
All-League pitcher Alli Goecks (Beloit,
Wis.), All-Newcomer selection Hailey
Mohrfeld (Menomonee Falls, Wis.) and slugger Danielle Peerenboom (Appleton, Wis.). The Phoenix also boasts eight
freshmen on its roster, including three pitchers.
The 2013 campaign opens this weekend
for the Phoenix as the team competes in the UNI Dome Tournament again this
season. Green Bay's first game of the year will be this afternoon with a 1 p.m.
matchup against North Dakota State, and the team will face its toughest battle
of the 2013 season in just its second game as Green Bay Battles No. 1 Alabama
tomorrow afternoon. The Crimson Tide won its first-ever National Championship
last season, finishing with an astounding 60-8 record with a 23-5 mark in SEC
play.
"We are truly looking forward to the
challenges another season brings upon us, especially having the wonderful
opportunity to take on the No. 1 team in the nation this weekend," Rivett said.
The Phoenix will round out the
weekend tournament with a second game on Saturday against host UNI, and finish
the tournament with matchups against Illinois and Drake on Sunday.
2013 Horizon League Softball Preseason Poll
1. Loyola (6), 48 points
2. UIC (1), 39 points
3. Valparaiso (1), 37 points
4. Youngstown State, 30 points
5. Green Bay, 22 points
6. Cleveland State, 20 points
7. Wright State, 19 points
8. Detroit, 9 points
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