Comets Slip Back In ASC Pre-Season Poll

Louisiana College, UMHB Voted Favorites for 2008 Softball Season

RICHARDSON, TX - The UTD softball team, which struggled to a 16-23 finish last season, is picked to finish only fifth in the seven-team American Southwest Conference East Division 2008 pre-season poll.

Defending East champion Louisiana College and the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor are picked as the pre-season favorites for winning the East and West Divisions, respectively. The poll includes voting from divisional coaches, sports information directors and media reprentatives.

UTD slipped in the voting behind four East Division teams which all had winning records last season. LC (34-11 in 2007) had 131 points and 17 first-place votes to lead the divisional poll. UT-Tyler (30-10) was next with 106 points and one first-place vote. East Texas Baptist (32-11) was picked third with 87 points, followed by Mississippi College (38-10) with 81 points and one first-place vote.

UTD. with 67 points, was tabbed to finish ahead of the University of the Ozarks (17-23, 34 points) and LeTourneau (7-31, 26 points).

In the West, UMHB (22-16) was chosen as the favorite ahead of two-time defending ASC champion Hardin-Simmons (30-15). UMHB had 115 points and 10 first-place votes while HSU had 106 points and six first-place votes. Howard Payne (28-12) finished third with 97 points and two first-place votes, followed by Texas Lutheran (20-18, 68 pts), Concordia Texas (11-23, 53 pts), Schreiner (9-26, 42 pts), and Sul Ross State (6-32, 26 pts).

UTD opens its 2008 season on Feb. 23-24 at the UT-Tyler Tournament.