February 24, 2016

Greyhounds Tabbed as Landmark Conference Favorites in Softball Preseason Poll

TOWSON, Md. --- The Moravian College softball team has been unanimously picked to finish first in the 2016 Landmark Conference preseason poll conducted by the conference coaches.

The defending champion Greyhounds, who have won six of the eight Landmark Conference titles, received 60 points and six first-place votes while Susquehanna University garnered a total of 38 points. Rounding out the top four were Elizabethtown College with 32 points and receiving the remaining first-place vote and The Catholic University of America with 30 points.

Head Coach John Byrne enters his 23nd season leading Moravian with an overall mark of 713-221, and he has 14 players and seven starters back from last year's 38-8 squad that reached the postseason for the 22nd consecutive season. The Hounds also won their NCAA Division III Regional Championship last spring and made it to the NCAA Division III Super Regionals for the first time in Moravian history.

"We have a strong core of returning players as well as a talented group of newcomers we hope contribute throughout the season," commented Byrne. "While it is nice to be recognized in the preseason, our goal is to win another conference championship and earn a trip to the NCAA Tournament in May.

The Greyhounds are scheduled to begin their season on Sunday, March 6 with the first two of 10 games at the National Training Center in Clermont, Florida as the Hounds take on Penn State-Behrend at 11:00 a.m. and Lakeland (Ill.) College at 3:00 p.m.

2016 Landmark Conference Softball Preseason Poll

Rank	School (first-place votes)	Points
1.	Moravian College (6)	60
2.	Susquehanna University	38
3.	Elizabethtown College (1)	32
4	The Catholic University of America	30
5.	The University of Scranton	19
6.	Juniata College	11
7.	Drew University	6