University of North Texas Athletics
Muller Named To Preseason Conference Softball Team
1/29/2008 12:00:00 AM | Softball
NEW ORLEANS (1/29/08) North Texas senior shortstop Katya Muller was named to the Preseason All-Sun Belt Conference Team as the conference office announced its preseason softball coaches poll and team on Tuesday. As a team, North Texas was picked to finish seventh in the preseason poll.
Muller was a First Team All-Sun Belt honoree last year after leading the Mean Green with 63 hits, the third most in school history. She also led the team with 17 multi-hit games and 13 doubles. The shortstop finished second on team with a .332 batting average, which tied for second on the single-season record list. Muller was second on the team in slugging percentage, on-base percentage, home runs, RBI, runs scored and total bases.
Muller picked up her play during conference action. She posted a .354 hitting percentage in conference-only games, ranking seventh in the conference. She was second in the conference with 29 hits and ranked third with 54 total bases in conference play. She compiled at least one hit in 19 of the 24 conference games.
Louisiana-Lafayette was chosen as the early favorite to win the 2008 Sun Belt Conference softball title with the 2007 champions Florida Atlantic not far behind in the voting. The Ragin’ Cajuns tallied 80 points, receiving eight of the possible nine first-place votes, to edge out Florida Atlantic, which earned 70 points and one first-place vote.
ULL’s designated player Holly Tankersley and WKU’s Jennifer Kempf 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 top eight teams will advance to the 2008 Sun Belt Conference Championship, held in Troy, AL.
North Texas opens its season on Saturday, Feb. 9 against Creighton at 3 pm in the Quality Inn & Suites/Point Bank Invitational at Lovelace Stadium in Denton. The Mean Green finished last year with an overall record of 22-36 and a 10-14 conference mark.
Sun Belt Conference Preseason Softball Coaches Poll
Sun Belt Teams Points
1. Louisiana-Lafayette (8) 80
2. Florida Atlantic (1) 70
3. Troy 62
4. Western Kentucky 46
5. South Alabama 45
6. Middle Tennessee 40
7. North Texas 32
8. Florida International 16
9. ULM 14
First place votes in parenthesis
Preseason All-Sun Belt Conference Team
Brittany Cuevas (Louisiana-Lafayette, So., P)
Jennifer Kempf (WKU, Jr., P)
Rachelle Boucher (WKU, So., C)
Jessica Lyle (Troy, Sr., 1B)
Jenny Stevens (South Alabama, So., 2B)
Katya Muller (NT, Sr., SS)
Rebecca Horesky (WKU, Jr., 3B)
Kim Rodriguez (FIU, Jr., OF)
Karli Hubbard (Louisiana-Lafayette, Jr., OF)
Evelyne Pare (South Alabama, Sr., OF)
Heidi Johnson (Troy, Jr., OF)
Holly Tankersley (Louisiana-Lafayette, Sr., DP)
Preseason Player of the Year
Holly Tankersley (Louisiana-Lafayette, Sr., DP)
Preseason Pitcher of the Year
Jennifer Kempf (WKU, Jr., P)
