BATON ROUGE — The defending Southeastern Conference champion LSU softball team was picked to finish second in the SEC Western Division by the league’s coaches.
The eighth-ranked Tigers received 57 points and four first-place votes to put them behind Western Division-rival Alabama. The fifth-ranked Crimson Tide earned 62 points and six first-place votes. The past two meetings between the two schools has proven to be the deciding factor in the conference championship with LSU walking away with the crown each time.
“This is what we expected,” said head coach Yvette Girouard. “Alabama made the College World Series last season and returns everyone. I believe that this is not a surprise. Obviously, this gives us a real goal to shoot for this season.”
LSU begins the 2001 season with six starters returning from last year’s squad that boasted a record of 59-13. The Tigers also have four letterman and seven newcomers to add to the list.
Behind Alabama and LSU in the divisional race, Mississippi State placed third with 40 points followed by Arkansas with 37 points. Auburn was fifth with 24 points and Ole Miss sixth with 13.
South Carolina paced the Eastern Division vote tally with 54 points and one vote to win the overall title. Florida was second with 38 points and Kentucky third with 32 points. Georgia, with 21 points, and Tennessee, with 20 points, rounded out the East.
The Tigers open the season at the Fiesta Bowl Classic Feb. 9-11, which will be played in Phoenix and Tempe, Ariz. The first home game will be Feb. 19 against East Tennessee State. Season tickets can be purchased from the LSU Ticket Office by calling 225-388-2184 or on the internet at www.LSUsports.net.
2001 SEC Softball Preseason Coaches’ Poll
(First-Place Votes in Parentheses)
SEC Champion: Alabama (6), LSU (4), South Carolina (1)
Western Division
1. Alabama (7) 62 pts
2. LSU (4) 57 pts
3. Miss. State 40 pts
4. Arkansas 37 pts
5. Auburn 24 pts
6. Ole Miss 13 pts
Eastern Division
1. South Carolina (10) 54 pts
2. Florida 38 pts
3. Kentucky (1) 32 pts
4. Georgia 21 pts
5. Tennessee 20 pts