University of North Texas Athletics
Waters Named To Preseason All-Sun Belt Conference Softball Team
1/23/2007 12:00:00 AM | Softball
NEW ORLEANS (1/23/07) Senior third baseman Susan Waters was named to the Preseason All-Sun Belt Conference Team for the second year in a row as the conference office announced its preseason coaches poll and team on Tuesday. As a team, North Texas was picked to finish seventh in the preseason poll.
Waters was a First Team All-Sun Belt honoree last year after leading the Mean Green with 14 doubles, 18 home runs and 53 RBI. She finished the season tied for 18th in the nation with a home run average of .30 per game and ranked 29th in the nation in slugging percentage (.720). In the Sun Belt, she was ranked third in RBI, fourth in doubles, third in triples and fourth in home runs. At North Texas, she set a single-season record for home runs (18) and RBI (53). She set 10 single-season records in 2006.
Louisiana-Lafayette was chosen as the early favorite to win the 2007 Sun Belt Conference softball title with league newcomer Florida Atlantic not far behind in the voting. The Ragin’ Cajuns tallied 78 points, receiving six of the possible nine first-place votes, to edge out Florida Atlantic, which had earned 69 points and three first-place votes.
ULL’s own first baseman Lacey Bertucci and FAU’s Jen Musillo were respectively named Preseason Player and Pitcher of the Year.
The poll and team were voted on by the nine Sun Belt head coaches. The Sun Belt added three new softball members for the 2007 season: Florida Atlantic, Louisiana Monroe and South Alabama. The top eight teams will advance to the 2007 Sun Belt Conference Championship, held in Murfreesboro, TN.
North Texas opens it season on Friday, Feb. 9 against Colorado State in the New Mexico State Tournament. The Mean Green finished last year with an overall record of 22-38.
Sun Belt Conference Preseason Softball Coaches Poll
Sun Belt Teams Points
1. Louisiana-Lafayette (6) 78
2. Florida Atlantic (3) 69
3. Florida International 61
4. Western Kentucky 47
5. Troy 45
6. Middle Tennessee 37
7. North Texas 35
8. Louisiana Monroe 20
9. South Alabama 13
First place votes in parenthesis
Preseason All-Sun Belt Conference Team
Jen Musillo (FAU, P)
Ryan Rogge (WKU, P)
Tabitha Embry (FIU, C)
Lacey Bertucci (ULL, 1B)
Heather Hanson (ULM, 2B)
Shelby Stiner (MT, SS)
Susan Waters (NT, 3B)
Deomni Murray (FIU, OF)
Alana Towns (WKU, OF)
Jenna Lopez (FAU, OF)
Holly Tankersley (ULL, DP)
PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Lacey Bertucci, ULL
PITCHER OF THE YEAR: Jen Musillo, FAU
