RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. – Following a 2015 season the culminated in a Great American Conference Tournament championship and the program’s first NCAA appearance, East Central will enter the 2016 softball season as the preseason favorite, following a league-wide vote of the conference’s head coaches.
The Tigers posted a 34-16 record, and a 25-8 mark in GAC play, last season. They return 11 players from their championship squad, highlighted by All-American Taylor Davis, All-Region selection Autumn Suydam, GAC Tournament MVP Lacey Paulk and 2015 All-GAC First-Team selections Marissa Shaffer and Jordynn VanPelt. Davis ranked in the top four in the GAC in average, on-base percentage; Suydam placed in top 10 in both categories, as well as stolen bases; Paulk posted a 12-3 overall record and a 2-0 mark with a save at the GAC Championships; Shaffer ranked in the top 10 in five major pitching categories and VanPelt paced the GAC in home runs and ranked inside the top 10 in six major offensive categories.
Henderson State, the 2015 GAC regular-season champions, placed second in the poll. The Reddies also advanced to their first NCAA Tournament on the heels of winning a school-record 43 games. Michelle Sorensen, the 2015 GAC Freshman and Pitcher of the Year returns after leading the GAC in earned run average, wins, opponent’s batting average and innings pitching while placing second in strikeouts. Henderson State also brings back All-Region selections Ashlyn White and Keirsten Seahorn. At the plate, White ranked in the top 10 in slugging percentage, RBI and home runs, while inside the circle the posted the second-lowest ERA and third-best opponent’s batting average and 13 wins. Seahorn hit .360 with 53 RBI, the third-most in the GAC.
Southern Arkansas, one year removed from a GAC Tournament championship, finished third in the poll. The Lady Muleriders return their top two home run hitters - Ashton Atwell and Maddie Dow and welcome key transfers such as Tyler Casada who hit .329 with 11 home runs at Northwestern Oklahoma State in 2014 and pitcher Kimmy Beasley who won 26 games at the University of Arkansas and struck out 312 in 301 innings.
Southeastern Oklahoma State took fourth the voting. The Savage Storm, who advanced to the Division II National Championships in 2014 still feature several key figures from that squad including Jessica Simmons, Sydney Kramer, Laramie Beal, Courtney Riddle and Conner Harmon. Simmons, a three-time All-GAC selection, led the conference in stolen bases and ranked second in on-base percentage and runs scored. Kramer hit .396 while Beal and Riddle each drove in 44 runs.
Arkansas Tech, the GAC’s third representative in the NCAA Tournament in 2015, placed fifth. The Golden Suns bring back pitchers Sydnee Clark and Morgan Vaughan, who combined for a 25-12 record with a 2.84 ERA. Offensively, Tech returns First-Team All-GAC outfielder Kambri Hill, who hit .336 with 11 home runs and Ashley Savage, who led the team with 12 home runs.
Harding took sixth in the voting, followed by Southern Nazarene and Arkansas-Monticello. The Lady Bisons feature a pair of 2015 All-GAC selections – outfielder Courtney Derrick and catcher Kimmy Hendricks. The Crimson Storm returns senior pitcher Kayla Wyatt. Last season, she set the GAC single-season strikeout record with 224 and single-game record with 17 in a game against Henderson State. The Blossoms bring back First-Team All-GAC outfielder Kali Piha, who hit .323 with six home runs.
Northwestern Oklahoma State, Southwestern Oklahoma State, Ouachita and Oklahoma Baptist rounded out the poll. Charlie Zeilman will lead the Rangers as the team’s new head coach while The Bison join the GAC after a successful run in the NAIA. The Bison reached the NAIA national tournament most recently 2014 and head coach Pam Fink owns 584 wins to her credit.
The GAC season opens on January 30 with Harding and East Central competing in doubleheaders. The season for the majority of the conference schools beings on Friday, February 5. Southeastern Oklahoma State, Southern Arkansas and Ouachita will host tournaments during that opening weekend.