Courtesy swac.org
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Familiar faces have been selected as title favorites once again as Texas Southern (Western) and Alabama State (Eastern) finished atop their respective division order of finish standings as part of the league's 2018 Preseason Softball awards.
The preseason teams and order of finish were each chosen in a vote by the league's Head Coaches and Sports Information Directors. For the defending champion Lady Tigers (91 points), this is the fifth-straight season the they have been chosen as favorites to win the Western Division.
TSU, which is expected to return much of its league-leading pitching staff and defense, received 15 first-place votes.
Prairie View A&M was tabbed to finish second with 58 points (two first-place votes), narrowly outpointing Arkansas-Pine Bluff (57 points; two first-place votes). Southern (51 points) and Grambling State (28 points) rounded out the projections out west.
2016 champion Alabama State earned 82 points (seven first-place votes), besting the incumbent Eastern Division champion Alcorn State (65 points, six first-place votes). Mississippi Valley State claimed 56 points (four first-place votes), Alabama A&M (47 points, one first-place vote) and Jackson State (35 points, one first-place vote) followed in the projections.
Texas Southern's Fulmore tabbed for individual award
Texas Southern's Jasmin Fulmore, who won Pitcher of the Year accolades last season, went 11-5 in the circle in 2017 for the reigning champions. Along with teammate and fellow preseason first-teamer Lauren Rodriguez, Fulmore posted a sub-3.00 ERA, notching a 2.47 in the category.
She led the league with 97 strikeouts and threw three shutouts. The junior earned first-team accolades to close the season and also garnered preseason first-team honors this season.
A complete listing of the All-SWAC Preseason Teams can be found below.
An asterisk (*) beside a student-athlete's name indicates a tie in voting.
Preseason Player of the Year - Taylor Hughes, Alcorn State
Preseason Pitcher of the Year - Jasmin Fulmore, Texas Southern
All-SWAC Preseason First Team
1B - Taylor Hughes, Alcorn State
2B - Destinee Williams, Prairie View A&M
3B - Kylar Ward-Flowers, Prairie View A&M
SS - Alyssa Garcia, Prairie View A&M
OF - Tonnay Hawkins, Arkansas-Pine Bluff
OF - Kelsey Riley, Texas Southern
OF - Shelby Williams, Prairie View A&M
C - Kiara Suttles, Southern
P - Jasmin Fulmore, Texas Southern
P - Lauren Rodriguez, Texas Southern
P - Ashley Higgins, Prairie View A&M
DP - Charlene Castro, Alabama State
All-SWAC Preseason Second Team
1B - Laurisa Hernandez, Prairie View A&M
2B - Jocilynn Ellis, Texas Southern
3B - Victoria Tyler, Alcorn State
SS - Dominique Tello, Texas Southern
OF - Mariah Ortiz, Alcorn State
OF - Kailyn Dunn, Mississippi Valley State
OF - *Kaylee Davis, Alabama State/*Imani Largin, Alabama A&M
C - Amanda Ford, Prairie View A&M
P - Aubrion James, Southern
P - Robin Harrison, Alcorn State
P - Vanessa Bradford, Alabama State
DP - *Sierra Valdez, Texas Southern/*Ikeyia Alexander, Mississippi Valley State
Western Division Predicated Order of Finish (First-Place votes in parentheses)
1. Texas Southern 91 (15)
2. Prairie View A&M 58 (2)
3. Arkansas-Pine Bluff 57 (2)
4. Southern 51 (0)
5. Grambling State 28 (0)
Eastern Division Predicated Order of Finish (First-Place votes in parentheses)
1. Alabama State 82 (7)
2. Alcorn State 65 (6)
3. Mississippi Valley State 56 (4)
4. Alabama A&M 47 (1)
5. Jackson State 35 (1)
Courtesy: TSU Athletics
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Familiar faces have been selected as title favorites once again as Texas Southern (Western) and Alabama State (Eastern) finished atop their respective division order of finish standings as part of the league's 2018 Preseason Softball awards.
The preseason teams and order of finish were each chosen in a vote by the league's Head Coaches and Sports Information Directors. For the defending champion Lady Tigers (91 points), this is the fifth-straight season the they have been chosen as favorites to win the Western Division.
TSU, which is expected to return much of its league-leading pitching staff and defense, received 15 first-place votes.
Prairie View A&M was tabbed to finish second with 58 points (two first-place votes), narrowly outpointing Arkansas-Pine Bluff (57 points; two first-place votes). Southern (51 points) and Grambling State (28 points) rounded out the projections out west.
2016 champion Alabama State earned 82 points (seven first-place votes), besting the incumbent Eastern Division champion Alcorn State (65 points, six first-place votes). Mississippi Valley State claimed 56 points (four first-place votes), Alabama A&M (47 points, one first-place vote) and Jackson State (35 points, one first-place vote) followed in the projections.
Texas Southern's Fulmore tabbed for individual award
Texas Southern's Jasmin Fulmore, who won Pitcher of the Year accolades last season, went 11-5 in the circle in 2017 for the reigning champions. Along with teammate and fellow preseason first-teamer Lauren Rodriguez, Fulmore posted a sub-3.00 ERA, notching a 2.47 in the category.
She led the league with 97 strikeouts and threw three shutouts. The junior earned first-team accolades to close the season and also garnered preseason first-team honors this season.
A complete listing of the All-SWAC Preseason Teams can be found below.
An asterisk (*) beside a student-athlete's name indicates a tie in voting.
Preseason Player of the Year - Taylor Hughes, Alcorn State
Preseason Pitcher of the Year - Jasmin Fulmore, Texas Southern
All-SWAC Preseason First Team
1B - Taylor Hughes, Alcorn State
2B - Destinee Williams, Prairie View A&M
3B - Kylar Ward-Flowers, Prairie View A&M
SS - Alyssa Garcia, Prairie View A&M
OF - Tonnay Hawkins, Arkansas-Pine Bluff
OF - Kelsey Riley, Texas Southern
OF - Shelby Williams, Prairie View A&M
C - Kiara Suttles, Southern
P - Jasmin Fulmore, Texas Southern
P - Lauren Rodriguez, Texas Southern
P - Ashley Higgins, Prairie View A&M
DP - Charlene Castro, Alabama State
All-SWAC Preseason Second Team
1B - Laurisa Hernandez, Prairie View A&M
2B - Jocilynn Ellis, Texas Southern
3B - Victoria Tyler, Alcorn State
SS - Dominique Tello, Texas Southern
OF - Mariah Ortiz, Alcorn State
OF - Kailyn Dunn, Mississippi Valley State
OF - *Kaylee Davis, Alabama State/*Imani Largin, Alabama A&M
C - Amanda Ford, Prairie View A&M
P - Aubrion James, Southern
P - Robin Harrison, Alcorn State
P - Vanessa Bradford, Alabama State
DP - *Sierra Valdez, Texas Southern/*Ikeyia Alexander, Mississippi Valley State
Western Division Predicated Order of Finish (First-Place votes in parentheses)
1. Texas Southern 91 (15)
2. Prairie View A&M 58 (2)
3. Arkansas-Pine Bluff 57 (2)
4. Southern 51 (0)
5. Grambling State 28 (0)
Eastern Division Predicated Order of Finish (First-Place votes in parentheses)
1. Alabama State 82 (7)
2. Alcorn State 65 (6)
3. Mississippi Valley State 56 (4)
4. Alabama A&M 47 (1)
5. Jackson State 35 (1)
Courtesy: TSU Athletics