BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The 2018 SEC Softball Preseason Coaches’ Poll was released Wednesday afternoon, and the league’s coaches have predicted the LSU softball team to finish fourth in the conference.
The Tigers are coming off a 48-22 overall mark and 12-12 SEC record in 2017. They return 13 letterwinners from last year’s squad who made it to the SEC tournament final and qualified for the Women’s College World Series for the sixth time in program history and third-straight.
Florida, the three-time defending SEC regular-season champion, has been selected as the preseason favorite for the 2018 season. Florida received 11 first-places votes, with one going to Tennessee who was picked to finish second. Texas A&M was picked to finish third and Alabama, who received a first-place vote, is predicted to finish fifth behind the Tigers to round out the Top 5.
LSU opens the 2018 regular season at Tiger Park on February 8, hosting Illinois-Chicago before taking on UT Arlington, Southern Miss, UMass and Syracuse in the Tiger Classic February 9 and 10.
For all of the latest news and information on Tiger softball, visit www.lsusports.net/softball. Fans can also follow the program on its social media outlets at www.Facebook.com/lsusoftball along with @lsusoftball and @BethTorina on Twitter and @lsusoftball on Instagram.
2018 SEC Softball Preseason Coaches’ Poll
(First-Place Votes in Parentheses)
Place, School, Points
1. Florida (11), 143
2. Tennessee (1), 119
3. Texas A&M, 114
4. LSU, 109
5. Alabama (1), 107
6. Auburn, 85
7. Ole Miss, 81
8. Kentucky, 76
9. Georgia, 49
10. Arkansas, 39
11. Missouri, 34
12. South Carolina, 30
13. Mississippi State, 28