Orangewomen Picked Second in BIG EAST Poll
1/9/2003 11:44:59 AM | Softball
PROVIDENCE, R.I. - The Syracuse softball team was picked second in the BIG EAST preseason coaches poll released by the conference office. The Orangewomen scored 85 of a possible 100 points, second only to defending conference champion Notre Dame.
The Orangewomen finished third in the BIG EAST last season with a 12-6 conference record, qualifying for the program's first league tournament in only its second year of BIG EAST competition. SU finished with a 25-21 overall record.
Syracuse returns eight starting position players and two pitchers from last year's team, including four All-BIG EAST or All-Northeast Region performers. Sophomore Tanya Rose (Milwaukie, Ore./Rex Putnam) was the 2002 BIG EAST Rookie of the Year, a unanimous first-team all-conference choice and a first-team all-regioin selection. She hit .378 and set SU single-season records for hits (54), total bases (77), on-base percentage (.422), stolen bases (13) and multi-hit games (19). Senior designated player Julie Dunn (Springfield, Ill./Springfield) also returns to the lineup. Dunn was a unanimous first-team all-conference player last season, and was also named to the All-Northeast Region First Team.
Senior outfielder Kristen Collins (Stow, Mass./Nashoba Regional) set the Orangewomen's single-season batting average record, hitting .387. Collins was a second-team all-region pick and a third-team academic All-American. Sophomore catcher Katie Kaempfer (Las Vegas, Nev./Bonanza) was a BIG EAST All-Rookie pick. She set a Syracuse single-season and freshman record with 13 doubles, ranking 28th in the nation in two-base hits per game.
Notre Dame was picked to win the league's regular-season championship for the second straight year. Villanova was third, followed by Virginia Tech, Seton Hall, Boston College and St. John's. Rutgers, Connecticut, Pittsburgh and Providence rounded out the preseason predictions. Each head coach voted for every team but their own with 10 points being awarded for a first-place vote, nine for second place, etc.
The Orangewomen open the season on February 21 at the UNLV Tournament in Las Vegas, Nev. SU's conference opener is March 29 at Virginia Tech.
