Jan. 29, 2008
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - The San Diego State softball team has been picked to finish second in the 2008 Mountain West Conference in the preseason poll voted on by the league's coaches.
SDSU collected 19 points, including one first-place vote, to finish second behind Brigham Young's 25 points. The Cougars, who had the other five first-place votes, were followed by the Aztecs, UNLV (15), Colorado State and New Mexico, which tied for fourth with 13 points, and Utah (5).
San Diego State, which only lost two starters from a year ago, returns nine players who started at least 25 games in 2007, including all-MWC performers senior Christina Ross (Santa Clarita, Calif./Univ. of Kansas), and sophomores Brittany Knudsen (San Diego/Escondido HS) and Lindsey Marquez (Tustin, Calif./Lutheran HS). Junior Erin Floros (San Diego/Mt. Carmel HS), a 2006 All-American, also returns for SDSU after missing most of 2007 with a knee injury.
The Aztecs defeated two top-10 teams in 2007 in No. 6 Oregon State and No. 10 Texas en route to a 32-24 record, their seventh winning season over the last eight years. SDSU set school records in highest batting average (.296), and most runs (238) and total bases (593).
San Diego State begins its season Feb. 8 in Palm Springs, Calif., when it takes on Cal Poly in the Cathedral City Classic at 6 p.m. PT. The following weekend the Aztecs play host to the prestigious Campbell-Cartier Classic, beginning with a game against UC Santa Barbara on Feb. 14 at 7 p.m.
2008 Mountain West Conference Preseason Softball Poll Team (First-place votes) Points 1. Brigham Young (5) 25 2. San Diego State (1) 19 3. UNLV 15 4t. Colorado State 13 New Mexico 13 6. Utah 5