Back-to-Back Horizon League Tournament Champion Valparaiso Tabbed 2014 Favorite

INDIANAPOLIS—A season after the program’s first-ever NCAA Tournament victory, the Valparaiso softball team edged out UIC by one point as favorite to capture the title in 2014. The Crusaders collected four of the eight first-place votes, receiving 46 total points in voting of the League’s coaches.

Led in the circle by sophomore Taylor Weissenhofer, Valparaiso returns 13 letterwinners from the Championship squad. The Second Team All-League and All-Newcomer Team honoree, paced the conference a year ago and set a new Crusader record for single-season strikeouts while also leading the League in saves, ranked second in wins, third in opponents’ batting average and fifth in ERA.

The Crusader offense will look to sophomore catcher Janelle Bouchard to lead the team at the plate this season. Bouchard hit .323 with 23 runs scored and 53 RBIs a year ago to lead the League in runs batted in. The Second Team All-League and All-Newcomer Team selection was the Most Valuable Player of the Horizon League Tournament, hitting .529 with a record-tying 10 RBIs, four runs scored and four doubles.

Receiving the four remaining first-place votes, UIC took second place with 45 points. Led by Horizon League Coach of the Year Michelle Venturella in her sixth season at the helm, the Flames return 11 letterwinners and welcome eight newcomers to the team. UIC will rely on First Team All-League selections senior Natalie Hernandez and sophomore Laura Swan to produce at the plate.

Wright State tabbed third place with 32 points as the Raiders look to build off of their two upset victories over No. 4 Cleveland State and top-seeded UIC a season ago in the Horizon League Tournament. Wright State returns Second Team All-League honoree Krystian DeWitt on the mound and fellow Second Team selection Kaitlyn Kite at the plate.

After reaching the Championship game last spring as the No. 6 seed, Youngstown State is picked fourth with 30 points. Behind a core of five seniors, the Penguins are led by Second Team All-League pitcher Casey Crozier and third basemen Samantha Snodgrass.

The Vikings welcome head coach Becky Norris in her debut season as Cleveland State is slotted to finish fifth. Horizon League Newcomer of the Year Erica McNew returns for her sophomore campaign after pacing the conference with 18 home runs and a .413 batting average last year.

Picked in finish sixth, Green Bay returns Second Team All-League honoree Marissa Michalkiewicz who led the team at the plate hitting .398 with 51 hits, 14 doubles, six home runs, 26 RBI’s, 25 runs scored and 85 total bases.

To round out the poll receiving 10 points each, Detroit and Oakland tied for seventh.

Detroit will rely on First Team All-League member Sara Cupp as well as a group of 13 upperclassmen to lead the Titans. Cupp started all 50 games for Detroit in 2013 and carried the team in nine offensive categories.

Oakland makes its debut season in the conference behind senior Erika Polidori. Polidori led the team in hitting with a .306 batting average, 30 hits, 16 runs, 12 RBIs, a .387 on-base percentage and a .459 slugging percentage.

The regular season gets underway on Friday, Feb.7, with six teams taking the field in tournaments. The Horizon League Tournament will be held May 7-10, at the site of the regular-season champion.

2014 PRESEASON VOTING
Rank   School (1st)            Points
1.        Valparaiso (4)           46
2.        UIC (4)                       45
3.        Wright State              32
4.        Youngstown State    30
5.        Cleveland State        29
6.        Green Bay                  22
T 7.     Detroit                        10
T 7.     Oakland                     10