Lenoir-Rhyne Ranked 11th In Preseason Softball Poll

STARKVILLE, Miss.. -- The Lenoir-Rhyne University softball team is ranked No. 11 in the 2011 NFCA NCAA Division II Preseason Top 25 Poll. NFCA is the National Fastpitch Coaches Association.

Last year's national runner-up, Valdosta State, was voted No. 1 in the country. Hawaii Pacific, the 2010 NCAA Division II National Champion, was ranked third.

L-R is coming off its best season in school history. The Bears finished the 2010 campaign with a 53-9 record (15-1 in the South Atlantic Conference) and captured both the SAC Regular Season and Tournament Championships.

Lenoir-Rhyne also advanced to the NCAA Division II Southeast Super Regional Tournament and finished the year ranked ninth nationally.

The Bears, who were picked to repeat as league champions, placed six players on the All-SAC Preseason First and Second Teams.

Senior shortstop Kat Rivers (Royston, Ga.), junior catcher Sarah Atkins (Newport News, Va.), junior pitcher Dawon Millwood (Hixson, Tenn.) and junior second baseman Carlee Carpenter (Newton, N.C.) were named to the first team while sophomore first baseman Jessica Fellmeth (Waxhaw, N.C.) and junior outfielder Tameron Sealey (Mount Holly, N.C.) earned second-team accolades.

Rivers was the 2010 South Atlantic Conference and Southeast Region Player Of The Year and was named a First-Team All-American by the NFCA while Atkins earned Second-Team All-America accolades.

Lenoir-Rhyne opens the 2011 season on Saturday, February 12, when it plays on the road against UNC Pembroke beginning at 2 p.m., in a doubleheader. L-R hosts Augusta State in its first home doubleheader on Tuesday, February 15, at 2 p.m.

More information: www.nfca.org

2010 Last
Rank Team Record Points Poll
1 Valdosta St. (2) 51-9 383 2
2 North Georgia (4) 51-2 373 5
3 Hawaii Pacific (10) 50-8 361 1
4 Bloomsburg 50-8 326 6
5 Wayne St. (MI) 52-13 303 7
6 West Texas A&M 45-18 293 24
7 Wayne St. (NE) 43-14 268 14
8 Angelo St. 50-15 240 3
9 Nebraska-Omaha 50-13 230 23
10 Alabama-Huntsville 41-12 229 19
11 Lenoir-Rhyne 53-9 227 9
12 Molloy 43-21 223 10
13 California (PA) 37-14 201 12
14 Grand Canyon 42-11 167 22
15 Metro St. 53-6 154 4
16 Ashland 36-12 141 15
17 Arkansas-Monticello 55-12 128 11
18 Rollins 45-6 125 18
19 Emporia St. 50-14 115 13
20 Mesa St. 23-22 109 NR
21 New Haven 42-8 95 16
22 Armstrong Atlantic 33-20 89 NR
23 Midwestern St. 54-10 80 8
24 Dowling 44-17 59 25
25 Central Washington 40-15 58 RV

Dropped Out: No. 17 Cal St. Chico, No. 20 Sonoma St., No. 21 Augustana (SD)
Others Receiving Votes: Saginaw Valley 48, Indiana (PA) 43, Winona St. 22, Dixie St. 21, Lewis 14, Francis Marion 13, Nova Southeastern 13, West Virginia Wesleyan 12, Southern Connecticut St. 11, Kutztown 10, Cal St. Monterey Bay 8, Augustana (SD) 3, St. Edward's 3, Caldwell 1, C.W. Post 1.