Commonwealth Conference Season Preview Video
ANNVILLE, Pa. – Lebanon Valley softball got a lot of respect in the voting for this year's Commonwealth Conference preseason coaches poll. The Dutchmen were picked as the top team in the conference with 78 total points, including seven first-place votes.
LVC (25-15, 11-3 CC in 2012) may have lost four key seniors to graduation last season, but head coach
Stacey Hollinger has done a fantastic job in restacking her roster by adding five freshmen and two transfers.
“I'm fairly confident the team's going to be pretty competitive,” Hollinger said. “We always rely on our pitching and our defense, and as long as that comes through, I think we'll be competitive in the conference.”
Last season, LVC qualified for the Commonwealth tournament but was eliminated by losses to Alvernia and Elizabethtown, both of which the Dutchmen had swept in the regular season. Both teams remain in the top four, and Alvernia received a first place vote after winning the conference title in 2012.
“We finished the conference playoffs just not hitting the ball, and sometimes that's just a weekend,” Hollinger said. “You go into a weekend, and if you're not hitting, you're not hitting. Hopefully, if we can correct that area, we qualify for a conference championship, get to that weekend, and hopefully have some hot bats. I think that we'll be in the mix.”
Messiah ranked second in the conference this year with 72 points and two first place votes.
The Dutchmen will open the season at the National Training Center in Clermont, Fla., beginning March 4. The trip will give Hollinger a chance to tinker with lineups and strategies while her team bonds on and off the field.
“Spring break is always an interesting time for us,” Hollinger said. “We definitely want to give all of our players an opportunity to play and show us what they have. Figure out lineups. Figure out some combinations. Get our pitchers in the circle and see what their strengths and weaknesses are. It's just a time to really learn about the team when they finally get the opportunity to get outside and play.”
LVC opens at home against Ursinus on March 12 at LVC Softball Park. The Dutchmen open Commonwealth play at Widener on March 16. The conference expands to 10 teams, with the additions of Stevenson and Hood.
2013 Preseason Commonwealth Coaches Poll
1. Lebanon Valley, 78 pts. (7)
2. Messiah, 72 pts. (2)
3. Alvernia, 68 pts. (1)
4. Elizabethtown, 53 pts.
5t. Arcadia, 44 pts.
5t. Widener, 44 pts.
7. Stevenson, 34 pts.
8. Lycoming, 28 pts.
9. Albright, 16 pts.
10. Hood, 13 pts.
