BRADFORD, Pa. – The University of Pittsburgh at Bradford softball team has been selected to finish sixth in the 2018 Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference Pre-Season Coaches' Poll, conference officials announced last week.
"I'm not really caught up in the preseason poll," Head Coach Tina Phillips said. "I expected we wouldn't be picked high based on our finish last season. But it is a new season and we have been working hard and look to surprise some people."
Conference softball coaches voted Penn State-Behrend to defend its AMCC title, which it has won each of the last three seasons. Medaille was selected second while Penn State-Altoona was picked third.
Behrend's Alexa Bupp was selected Preseason Player of the Year while A.J. Nichols of the Lions was tabbed as Preseason Pitcher of the Year.
Pitt-Bradford finished 7-11 in AMCC play and seventh in the conference last season, just one game back from Mount Aloysius and Franciscan which both took the last two playoff spots at 8-10.
Panther outfielders Grace Dadzaa and Madison East were listed as Players to Watch for the conference.
An All-AMCC First Team selection, Dadzaa led the conference with 25 stolen bases and 41 runs scored while finishing third with a .410 batting average.
East was named to the All-AMCC Second Team last season during her freshman campaign. She led the Panthers with 32 RBIs and hit all three of Pitt-Bradford's total home runs. She hit .373 in 123 at-bats.
Pitt-Bradford is set to open its 2018 season next week playing 10 games in the Gene Cusic Collegiate Classic in Lee County, Fla.
