RADFORD, Va. – Defending Big South champion Radford, under the direction of fourth-year head coach Mickey Dean, was tabbed the favorites in the 2010 Big South preseason softball poll and juniors Kristen Shifflett (Charlottesville/Monticello) and Chelsea Kelley (Roanoke, Va./Cave Spring) garnered preseason player and pitcher of the year honors, announced the league office, Monday morning. The poll and accolades are voted on by the leagues’ head coaches.
Coming off their first Big South regular season and tournament Championships and trip to the NCAA regionals, the Highlanders received six of the seven first place votes for 48 out of a possible 49 points. In 2009, Radford posted a 41-15 record to become just one of four Division I softball programs to win 40-plus games the past four seasons.
Shifflett, the 2009 Big South Tournament MVP, belted her way into the Radford record books last season. The two-year starting shortstop and Big South first team performer, launched a school record and Big South best 16 home runs in 2009. To go along with the long ball mark, she recorded top-five conference numbers in batting average (.381), hits (69), doubles (14), RBI (41), runs (53), slugging (.735) and stolen bases (14).
Kelley is coming off a stellar sophomore campaign in which the reigning Big South Pitcher of the Year posted a 25-8 record with a 2.55 ERA in 208.2 innings of work. A first team all-region and all-conference selection, Kelley went a school record 21 appearances (14 starts) without a loss (13-0, two saves) from April 8 to May 8.
The Highlanders were followed in the voting by Winthrop and 2009 runner-up Liberty with 40 and 34 points, respectively. Charleston Southern, who received the other first place vote, was picked fourth (25) and Gardner-Webb tallied 23 points for fifth. Coastal Carolina and Presbyterian rounded out the poll, tying for sixth with 13 points.
Radford opens the 2010 campaign with a single game at Virginia Tech on Wednesday, Feb. 24 at 3 p.m., followed by its first-ever appearance in the NFCA Leadoff Classic (Feb. 26-28) where the Highlanders will face Louisiana-Lafayette, Kent State, Illinois, Illinois State and 2009 WCWS participant Missouri.
The Highlanders are scheduled to play 18 contests away from Radford before they entertain Georgia Southern on Tuesday, March 16 in their home opener. First pitch of the twinbill is scheduled for 3 p.m.