FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
S-082-07-08
Monday, February 24, 2008

Elizabethtown College Selected Third in Commonwealth Conference Softball Poll

ELIZABETHTOWN, Pa. --- The Elizabethtown College softball team was picked third in the Commonwealth Conference preseason coaches poll, as voted upon by the league's six head coaches and released Monday.

The Blue Jays went 16-17 last season and finished second in the Commonwealth Conference with an 8-6 mark, qualifying for the conference tournament for the first time since 2003.

Fifth-year head coach Kathy Staib, the defending conference Coach of the Year, welcomes seven starters back from last year's lineup along with senior pitcher Alex Lee, who pitched every inning for the final 29 games and went 16-15 overall with a 1.96 earned run average in 206 2/3 innings of work.

Offensively, sophomore shortstop Paige Tanner is Elizabethtown's top returnee as she hit .311 with eight doubles, two home runs and 27 runs batted in last season.

Messiah College received 27 points and three first-place votes to gain the top spot in the poll, followed by Lebanon Valley College (25 points, one first) and Elizabethtown (24 points, two firsts). Albright College (22 points), Widener University (15 points) and Lycoming College (13 points) round out the survey.

Elizabethtown earned 18 points, including two first-place votes, to snag the top spot in the poll just ahead of Widener (17 points, two firsts). Messiah College (15 points, one first) and Lebanon Valley College (15 points) tied for third with Albright College in fifth with 10 points.

After a Spring Break trip to Myrtle Beach, S.C., the Blue Jays make their 2008 home debut on Tuesday, March 11 against Susquehanna University. Elizabethtown plays the first of five conference doubleheaders on Saturday, March 29 at Messiah.