Alabama Places Second in Preseason SEC Softball Poll
1/29/2015 12:00:00 AM | Softball
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - Defending Southeastern Conference champion Alabama has been picked second in the annual vote of the league's 13 coaches, released Thursday.
Defending national champion Florida is the preseason favorite, earning 11 of a possible 13 first-place votes. Women's College World Series participant Kentucky was picked third, LSU fourth and 2014 SEC Tournament champion Georgia fifth. The top nine teams are all ranked in the Top 25 in both preseason polls, while South Carolina is also receiving votes outside the Top 25.
Alabama won the SEC last season with a 19-5 conference record, losing just one conference series during the season. It was the fourth title in last five years for the Tide, including three straight from 2010-12. Four athletes were named All-SEC while Head Coach Patrick Murphy was named SEC Coach of the Year, the fourth such honor of his career.
Alabama's home conference series this season include Ole Miss (March 6-8), Florida (March 21-23), Texas A&M (March 27-29) and Tennessee (April 23-25) while hitting the road to take on Georgia (March 13-15), Kentucky (April 3-5), Auburn (April 17-19) and Arkansas (May 1-3). This year's SEC Tournament will take place May 6-9 at Tiger Park in Baton Rouge, La.
The Tide opens its season next Thursday, Feb. 5 against No. 23 South Alabama in Mobile before heading to Gulf Shores for the Sand Dollar Classic that weekend.
2015 SEC SOFTBALL PRESEASON COACHES POLL
(First-Place Votes in Parentheses)
1. Florida (11) - 143 pts.
2. Alabama - 120 pts.
3. Kentucky (1) - 115 pts.
4. LSU - 103 pts.
5. Georgia (1) - 102 pts.
6. Missouri - 98 pts.
7. Auburn - 85 pts.
8. Tennessee - 76 pts.
9. Texas A&M - 48 pts.
10. South Carolina - 46 pts.
11. Mississippi State - 42 pts.
12. Arkansas - 21 pts.
13. Ole Miss - 15 pts.
