Jan. 24, 2008

Contact: Brian McCann

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- With seven starters back from a team that went 33-14 a year ago and came within an inning of earning an NCAA bid, you have to forgive second year Viking head coach Angie Nicholson if she is optimistic about the upcoming 2008 season.

After the Horizon League released its annual preseason softball coaches poll on Wednesday, you have to also forgive Nicholson if she seems confused as well after the Vikings were picked to finish fourth in the eight-team league this season.

Defending regular season champion Loyola was tabbed as the preseason favorite, garnering five first place votes and 60 total points. UIC was second with two first place and 53 points while defending tournament champion Wright State received the other two first place votes and 50 points to finish third. CSU was tabbed fourth with 41 points while Valparaiso (35), Butler (34), Youngstown State (22), Green Bay (18) and Detroit (11) rounded out the poll.

"I might be a little off, but I thought that with almost everybody coming back from a team that finished second in the regular season and second in the tournament, that we might have been picked a little higher," Nicholson said. "But this is just a preseason poll and it really reflects more of what has happened than what is going to happen.

"We had an awesome fall season and with the addition of nine new players, we have the depth that we didn't have last season. I can't wait for the season to start because we obviously have a lot of work to do."

The Vikings, who went 33-10 last year and finished in second place in the Horizon League with an 8-6 mark, return three players from a year ago who earned all-league honors. The junior combination of shortstop Christa Coppus (.405 avg., 27 runs, 30 RBI) and Amanda Houchin (.383, 20, 29) at second base each earned first team all-league recognition last year while sophomore pitcher Amanda Macenko (26-10, 1.79 ERA, 153 strikeouts) was a second team honoree after setting a school record for wins in a season.

Cleveland State opens the season at the UNC-Greensboro Tournament from Feb. 15-17, playing games against James Madison, Niagara, Maryland-Baltimore County and Central Michigan.