Jan. 26, 2011
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GREENSBORO, N.C. – The Georgia Tech Softball team has been picked to win its third straight Atlantic Coast Conference title, as voted upon by the league’s head coaches. The Yellow Jackets received seven first-place votes and the maximum 49 points. Coaches were not allowed to vote for their own team. North Carolina received the other first place vote.
The Yellow Jackets return all but one starter from last year’s team which went 51-11 and captured their second consecutive ACC regular season and tournament title. Tech spent the entire season ranked in the top 25 for the first time in program history. The Jackets hosted their second straight NCAA Tournament at Mewborn Field and were a national seed (No. 8) for the first time ever.
The Jackets lost first-team All-American and USA Softball Player of the Year finalist Jen Yee, but return several key components from last year’s squad including third-team All-American Hope Rush and All-ACC performers Christy Jones, Kristine Priebe, Kelsi Weseman and Kate Kuzma.
The Yellow Jackets will begin the season ranked 17th in the ESPN.com/USA Softball top 25 poll as well as 18th in the USA Today/NFCA top 25 poll. Tech has now been ranked for 22 consecutive NFCA polls, also a program record.
Florida State, who the Jackets have defeated in each of the last two ACC championship games, was picked second in the league while North Carolina came in at third. Rounding out the preseason coaches poll are Virginia, Maryland, NC State, Virginia Tech and Boston College.
The Yellow Jackets are in the middle of preseason practice and the 2011 season opener is just two weeks away. Tech will open up the campaign at the Dot Richardson NTC Elite Tournament in Clermont, Fla., Feb. 11-13. The Jackets will play Fordham twice, Chattanooga twice and Florida Atlantic in the three day tournament. All of those contests will be broadcast on RamblinWreck.com.
The 2011 home opener at Mewborn Field will be a 5 p.m. tilt against Niagara on March 2. Tech will play 20 games at Mewborn Field, including ones against ranked teams in Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina and Florida State.
The Yellow Jackets will also be hosting the ACC Championship for the first time in school history. Tech will look for the three-peat May 13-15 at Mewborn Field.
Keep up to date with the Georgia Tech Softball team all season long at www.RamblinWreck.com as well as twitter.com/GaTechSoftball.
