DeLand, Fla. – Coming off a conference championship in 2014, the Stetson University softball team has been picked to finish third in the 2015 Atlantic Sun Conference preseason coaches poll, the league announced on Wednesday.
Junior third baseman Brittany Hawn (Kaneohe, Hawaii) earned Preseason Co-Defensive Player of the Year honors, while senior second baseman Demi Meza (Oxnard, Calif.) and junior catcher Jessica Griffin (Port St. John, Fla.) earned a spot on the preseason all-conference team.
The Hatters, who were 39-14 overall in 2014, received 45 points in the coaches poll.
USC Upstate received all eight first-place votes (64 points), while Lipscomb (55) was picked to finish second. Following Stetson in the third spot came FGCU (43) fourth, North Florida (28) fifth, Kennesaw State (26) sixth, Jacksonville (19) seventh, and Northern Kentucky (8) eighth.
Hawn earned Preseason Co-Defensive Player of the Year honors after posting a .982 fielding percentage at third base in 2014. She finished the season on a 33-game errorless streak and converted 100 consecutive chances without committing an error.
Meza earned second-team all-conference and third-team NFCA all-region honors after batting .333 with 10 home runs and 46 RBI. She ranked among the A-Sun leaders in runs (ninth), RBI (sixth), doubles (fifth), home runs (seventh), total bases (seventh), and slugging pct. (eighth). Her 24 career home runs ranks fourth all-time in school history.
Griffin started 52 games behind the plate last season, and batted .265 with three home runs and 34 RBI. She backstopped a pitching staff that maintained a 2.12 team ERA, 24th-best in the NCAA. She also earned a spot on the Atlantic Sun all-tournament team.
Meza was also selected by a wide margin as the Fan Voted Preseason Player of the Year. Hawn was the Fan Voted Preseason Defensive Player of the Year.
The Hatters open the 2015 season on Friday, Feb. 6 against Morehead State in the Westin Lake Mary Lead-Off Classic at Patricia Wilson Field. For season ticket information, which includes 41 home games, call the Stetson Athletics ticket office at (386) 738-HATS.
Preseason Softball Coaches Poll
Pl. Team (1st Place Votes) Points
1. USC Upstate (8) 64
2. Lipscomb 55
3. Stetson 45
4. FGCU 43
5. North Florida 28
6. Kennesaw State 26
7. Jacksonville 19
8. Northern Kentucky 8
