Softballers Picked 10th in GAC Poll

RUSSELLVILLE, Ark.  – Oklahoma Baptist finished in 10th place in the 2019 Great American Conference Softball Pre-Season Poll. The Lady Bison, under first-year coach Sam Maples, finished ahead of both Arkansas-Monticello and Southwestern Oklahoma State. Voting was done by each of the league's 12 head coaches.

Defending champion Southern Arkansas was the strong favorite receiving 11-of-12 first-place votes and totaling 121 points. SAU, which finished at 60-12 on the year, far outdistanced the second-place pick Arkansas Tech with 110 points.

Harding was the pick for third with 92 points narrowly ahead of Henderson State with 90. Southeastern Oklahoma State (87) was the top Oklahoma school at fifth while Southern Nazarene (68) concluded the poll's top half at sixth.

The poll continued with East Central (60) in seventh, Ouachita Baptist (52) in eighth and Northwestern Oklahoma State (33) in ninth. Tenth-place OBU (32) is followed by UAM (24) and SWOSU (23).  

The Lady Bison begin the 2019 season with four games at the Colorado Mesa Invitational beginning Friday, Feb. 1. OBU will play Fort Lewis College, Eastern New Mexico and Adams State (twice) in a two-day span. OBU's first home game will be a doubleheader Tuesday, Feb. 12 against Colorado Christian.