BREVARD, N.C. - The Brevard College softball team has been selected to finish seventh in the annual USA South Conference Softball Preseason Coaches' Poll.
Maryville College and defending USA South Tournament champion Piedmont College were picked tied atop the West Division with 60 points each. Piedmont was given a total of five first-place votes, with Maryville earning the four remaining first-place votes.
Huntingdon College was picked third with 51 votes in the West Division, while LaGrange College (fourth place, 39 points) and Covenant College (fifth place, 30 points) followed suit. Wesleyan College finished just ahead of Brevard in the sixth slot with 28 points, while Agnes Scott College (eighth place, 16 points) and Berea College (ninth, 13 points) rounded out the western half of the USA South.
Pfeiffer University was selected as the preseason favorite on the East Division side with five first-place votes, while Averett University was selected second with three first-place votes. Pfeiffer and Brevard are in their final year of NCAA DIII transition and therefore ineligible for the USA South Softball Tournament, but can enter into the ECAC DIII Softball Championships dependent on final overall record.
| 2020 USA South Softball Coaches Preseason Poll West Division |
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| Rank | Institution (1st Place Votes) | Pts. |
| t-1. | Maryville^# (4) | 60 |
| t-1. | Piedmont (5) | 60 |
| 3. | Huntingdon | 51 |
| 4. | LaGrange | 39 |
| 5. | Covenant | 30 |
| 6. | Wesleyan | 28 |
| 7. | Brevard* | 27 |
| 8. | Agnes Scott | 16 |
| 9. | Berea | 13 |
| *Ineligible for USA South Tournament (Div. III Reclassifying Member) ^Defending Regular Season Divisional Champion #Defending Tournament Champion |
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The 2020 Brevard Softball team - under the direction of the first-year staff of Head Coach Robyn Rohr, Assistant Coach Charles Kielson, and Volunteer Assistant Coach Jenna George - return a total of 11 players from 2019 while adding eight newcomers to the Tornado program. BC's squad also features two student managers - Kendall Brackin and Marissa Henson - who were on the 2019 team.
Offensively, BC returns a pair of USA South All-West Division selection in Mari Cook and Emily White. White led Brevard with 48 hits, 29 RBI's, a .400 batting average, six doubles, and seven triples, while Cook drew a team-best 23 walls alongside of 34 hits and 22 RBI's.
Brevard's leading pitcher from a season ago returns in Mikayla McCoy. The senior from Cullowhee, North Carolina won a team-best 10 games while pitching 14 complete games. The right-hander pitched 138 innings and struck out a total of 81 batters while maintaining a 3.45 ERA.
Brevard will host a doubleheader exhibition on Saturday, February 8 when the Tornados welcome Cleveland Community College to Ives-Lemel Family Field, with action slated for 6 and 7:30 p.m. BC hosts NCAA DII Bluefield College for its season-opener on Wednesday, February 12 at 1 and 3 p.m.
To follow the latest news and updates surrounding Brevard College Athletics, follow the Tornados on Twitter and Instagram @bctornados, subscribe to 'Brevard College Tornados' on YouTube, follow 'Brevard College Tornados' on SoundCloud, or like 'Brevard College Athletics' on Facebook. In addition, follow "brevardcollege" on Flickr for the latest photos from all Brevard College events.
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