Tuesday, February 24, 2009

MORAVIAN SOFTBALL TEAM SELECTED AS UNANIMOUS FAVORITE IN LANDMARK CONFERENCE PRESEASON POLL

MADISON, N.J. --- The 2009 Moravian College softball team has been selected as the unanimous favorite to win the Landmark Conference Championship during the inaugural season in a preseason poll selected by the conference’s head coaches and sports information directors.

The Greyhounds sit atop the poll with 60 points followed by The Catholic University of America with 51 points.  The University of Scranton was chosen to finish third with 45 points while Drew University was fourth with 34 points.  Rounding out the poll were Juniata College in fifth with 27 points, Susquehanna University in sixth with 25 points and The United States Merchant Marine Academy is seventh with 10 points.

Expectations are high once again for the 2009 Moravian squad as the Greyhounds return nine starters and 13 letterwinners from last year's 33-6 team, which had the program's eighth consecutive 30+ winning season and won the inaugural Landmark Conference Championship.  Head coach John Byrne enters his 16th season 25 wins shy of 500 for his career and with a team that was ranked 14th in the 2009 National Fastpitch Coaches Association Division III Top 25 Preseason Poll.

The Greyhounds are scheduled to start their 2009 season on Tuesday, March 3rd with a pair of games at the National Training Center in Clermont, Florida.  The Greyhounds will play John Carroll University (OH) at 9:30 a.m. and Ohio Northern University at 1:30 p.m.  Moravian’s first Landmark Conference doubleheader is scheduled for Saturday, March 28th at home versus The United States Merchant Marine Academy with first pitch slated for 1:00 p.m. at Blue & Grey Field.

2009 Landmark Conference Softball Preseason Poll