DALLAS - Louisiana Tech was selected as the 2019 Conference USA favorite for the second year in a row by vote of the league's head coaches. Seniors
Morgan Turkoly and
Preslee Gallaway return to claim individual honors as the C-USA Preseason Player and Pitcher of the Year, respectively. Turkoly was crowned the 2018 C-USA Player of the Year for manufacturing some of the league's best batting numbers. Gallaway became the 2018 Pitcher of the Year after collecting a league-best wins with a notable shutout against nationally-ranked Texas State. The Lady Techsters led the way with four preseason selections, followed by North Texas with three. Reigning C-USA Champion Middle Tennessee and C-USA Regular-Season Champion Florida Atlantic each garnered two apiece.
Louisiana Tech racked up nine first-places votes in this season's preseason poll coming off of four-straight 30-plus win campaigns. Just one win shy of the regular-season title, the squad will look to build off of that success with six of its mainstay position players returning in 2019. The Techsters feature outfielder Turkoly, pitcher Gallaway, utility
Sloane Stewartson and catcher
Marilyn Rizzato on the C-USA Preseason All-Conference Team, who all lifted the team to conference-best numbers in on-base percentage (.377), hits (476), walks (224), stolen bases (131) and saves (6).
Florida Atlantic, led by 2018 C-USA Coach of the Year
Joan Joyce, posted a 30-win season and earned its second regular-season crown in three years in 2018. The program advanced to the league's title game as the No. 1 seed, but was upset by a Cinderella run in Middle Tennessee. The Owls received three first-place votes as the runner-up with seniors pitcher
Mia Olson and outfielder
Madisyn Palmer selected to the preseason roster. Palmer led Florida Atlantic with a .399 batting average and 69 hits. Olson secured the mound with eight wins and 66 strikeouts in 16 starts.
UAB, host of the 2019 Air Force Reserve Conference USA Softball Championship, was slotted third after taking the West Division and finishing second overall last season. The Blazers return five starters, including two top arms and preseason all-conference pick
Natalie Erwin.
North Texas is predicted to earn fourth in the conference with three preseason team nods and new head coach
Rodney DeLong steering the wheel. DeLong hails from Austin Peay where he led the Governors to its best conference record in program history. The Mean Green tallied 25 wins last year and the seven seed in the C-USA Tournament. 2018 C-USA Newcomer of the Year
Katie Clark returns along with second-team all-conference winners
Lacy Gregory and pitcher
Hope Trautwein.
Also playing under a new head coach this season is projected fifth-place FIU. The Panthers earned the third seed in last year's championship with 30 wins and the help of preseason pick
Jackie Schoff. The outfielder led her team in batting average, runs scored, hits, triples and on-base percentage. FIU placed former assistant coach and pitching mentor
Heather Gelbard at the helm this season.
The 2019 C-USA Championship will be hosted by UAB from May 8-11 in Birmingham, Alabama. The championship's eight-team field will include the top three teams (by winning percentage) in the East Division standings and top three squads in the West Division standings, as well as two Wild Card teams from either division.
2019 C-USA Preseason Poll (first-place votes)
- Louisiana Tech (9)
- Florida Atlantic (3)
- UAB
- North Texas
- FIU
- Middle Tennessee
- WKU
- Marshall
- Southern Miss
- UTEP
- Charlotte
- UTSA
2019 Preseason Player of the Year
Morgan Turkoly, Louisiana Tech
2019 Preseason Pitcher of the Year
Preslee Gallaway, Louisiana Tech
2019 Preseason All-Conference Team
P: Preslee Gallaway, Louisiana Tech
P: Hope Trautwein, North Texas
P: Mia Olson, Florida Atlantic
C: *Marilyn Rizzato, Louisiana Tech
C: Samantha Papp, Southern Miss
INF: Aly Harrell, Marshall
INF: Natalie Erwin, UAB
INF: Lacy Gregory, North Texas
INF: Summer Burgess, Middle Tennessee
INF: Lexi Cushing, Middle Tennessee
OF: *Morgan Turkoly, Louisiana Tech
OF: Bailee Baldwin, UTSA
OF: *Madisyn Palmer, Florida Atlantic
OF: *Jackie Schoff, FIU
OF: Katie Clark, North Texas
UT/DP: Sloane Stewartson, Louisiana Tech
*Repeat Selections