By: Wichita State
WICHITA, Kan. – Wichita State's softball team was voted the preseason favorite in the 2015 Missouri Valley Conference preseason softball poll, the Valley announced on Wednesday. This is the first time the Shockers were named the preseason favorite in nine seasons, dating back to the 2006 season.
The Shockers gained 94 points including seven first-place votes to become the preseason favorite. Illinois State was picked to finish second with 87 points and had one first-place vote, as Northern Iowa accumulated 79 points and one first-place vote of their own to claim third.
Three Shockers were named preseason All-MVC including junior outfielder Brittany Fortner, senior catcher Melanie Jaegers and redshirt junior first baseman Cacy Williams.
Last season, the trio of Fortner, Jaegers and Williams were all named to the All-MVC first team as well as the MVC Scholar-Athlete first-team. Williams was later named the MVC Player of the Year and MVC Newcomer of the Year, the first time a student-athlete won both awards in the same season.
Also, Williams was named to the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) All-Midwest Division-I first team while Fortner earned NFCA All-Midwest Division-I second team honors.
“It's a big honor for us to get picked first in the league,” said Wichita State head softball coach Kristi Bredbenner. “That only solidifies that we have a larger target on our back since we won the league last year. It goes with our team honor of defend and conquer.
“I'm happy for Fortner, Jaegers and Williams as I'm looking forward to a great year out of them. We are also looking forward to some of our other student-athletes to step up and gain attention from the conference as well. It's a long year and we have a lot to prove, but we're working hard and looking forward to getting started.”
Wichita State will begin the season with a doubleheader on Feb. 6 at the Getterman Classic in Waco, Texas. The Shockers will take on Texas A&M Corpus Christi at 10 a.m. and No. 10 Baylor, the host of the Getterman Classic, at 3 p.m.
-WICHITA STATE-
2015 Preseason Poll
Rank Team (1st-place votes) Points
1. Wichita State (7)......................................94
2. Illinois State (1).........................................87
3. Northern Iowa (1)......................................79
4. Southern Illinois........................................74
5. Bradley......................................................54
6. Drake (1)...................................................49
7. Missouri State...........................................46
8. Loyola.......................................................29
9. Indiana State............................................27
10. Evansville...............................................11
2015 MVC Preseason All-Conference Team
Player, Team Pos. Yr. Hometown (Previous School)
Cacy Williams, Wichita State 1B RJr. Platte City, Mo. (Emporia State)
Julia Hunter, UNI 2B Sr. Iowa City, Iowa (Regina)
Rikki Alcaraz, UNI 3B Sr. Orland Park, Ill. (LSU)
Caitlin Wnek, UNI SS Jr. Amana, Iowa (Clear Creek Amana)
Melanie Jaegers, Wichita State C Sr. Mesquite, Texas (Dr. John Horn HS)
Chelsea Ross, UNI UT/P Jr. Kansas City, Mo. (Oklahoma State)
Jordan de los Reyes, Illinois State DP/UT-NP Soph. Moline, Ill. (Moline HS)
Brittany Fortner, Wichita State OF Jr. Cedar Hill, Mo. (Northwest HS)
Chandra Parr, Evansville OF Soph. Anna, Ill. (Anna-Jonesboro)
Kara Repp, Illinois State OF Sr. Casey, Ill. (Casey-Westfield HS)
Regan Romshek, Illinois State P Jr. Gibson City, Ill. (GCMS HS)
Erin Struemph, Missouri State P Soph. St. Thomas, Mo. (Saint Elizabeth High)
