Softball Falcons Picked For Third In East Division

Feb. 6, 2002

CLEVELAND, Ohio - The Mid-American Conference has released the 2002 softball preseason poll, and Bowling Green State University was picked to finish third in the East Division. The poll, released Wednesday (Feb. 6) by the conference office, was the result of balloting by the league's 13 head coaches.

The Falcons, who won the East Division title in 2001 after tying for the divisional crown the previous year, received 63 points in the balloting. Kent State was the coaches' choice to win the division, followed by Ohio. Marshall, Akron, Miami and Buffalo trail BGSU in the poll.

Central Michigan was picked to win both the West Division and the 2002 MAC Tournament. The Chippewas were followed by Northern Illinois, Ball State, Eastern Michigan, Western Michigan and Toledo in the West Division balloting.

CMU received five votes to win the MAC Tournament, while KSU garnered two. Four other teams -- BSU, EMU, Marshall and NIU -- received one vote apiece.

The Falcons went 35-19 overall and 19-5 in league play last year. Leigh Ross-Shaw, the 2001 MAC Coach of the Year, returns 15 letterwinners, including six starters, from that squad.

Ross-Shaw and the Falcons will open the 2002 season with a doubleheader at Tennessee State on Friday, Feb. 22. The following day, the Brown and Orange will begin play in a tournament hosted by Tennessee Tech.

The complete poll, with points received, follows:

East Division School Pts. 1-Kent State 85 2-Ohio 66 3-Bowling Green 63 4-Marshall 59 5-Akron 48 6-Miami 27 7-Buffalo 16

West Division School Pts. 1-Central Michigan 76 2-Northern Illinois 55 3-Ball State 53 4-Eastern Michigan 40 5-Western Michigan 28 6-Toledo 21

Votes to win MAC Tournament: Central Michigan 5, Kent State 2, Ball State, Eastern Michigan, Marshall & Northern Illinois 1

NOTE: Only 11 coaches voted on a tournament winner.