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Bowling Green State University Athletics
Falcons Picked To Finish Fourth
January 23, 2003 | Softball
Jan. 23, 2003
CLEVELAND, Ohio - The Mid-American Conference softball coaches have made their preseason predictions, and the Bowling Green State University Falcons have been predicted to finish fourth in the MAC's West Division in 2003. The league office released the poll Wednesday afternoon (Jan. 22).
The Falcons, who moved to the West Division for the 2002-03 academic year, earned 56 points to place behind Central Michigan (89), Ball State (67) and Northern Illinois (61). The Falcons were picked to finish ahead of Western Michigan (51), Eastern Michigan (23) and Toledo (17) in the divisional race.
CMU, the defending champions, earned 11 of the 13 first-place votes to win the West Division, and the Chippewa were the choice of nine coaches to win the 2003 MAC Tournament.
Ohio was picked to win the East Division, narrowly edging out Marshall, Akron and Kent State.
The Falcons of head coach Leigh Ross-Shaw finished with an overall record of 22-25-1 last spring, and BGSU tied for third place in the East with a MAC mark of 11-13. Ross-Shaw, in her fifth season as the head coach, welcomes back 10 letterwinners, including five starters, from that team.
The Falcons begin the 2003 season with five games at the New Mexico State Tournament from Feb. 14-16.
The complete MAC release follows...
Ohio, Central Michigan are Pre-Season Softball Divisional Favorites
Central Michigan is the clear-cut favorite to repeat as the Mid-American Conference West Division softball champions in the league's pre-season poll conducted among its head coaches. CMU received 11 first-place votes and 89 out of a possible 91 points. Ohio is picked to win the East Division receiving 62 out of a possible 78 points.
Central Michigan is not only the favorite to win the West, but the Chippewas are also the favorite to win the MAC Tournament. The Chippewas received nine votes to win the tournament, the only school to receive more than one vote.
Also receiving votes are Ball State, Northern Illinois and Ohio. Each grabbed one vote to win the tournament.
Predicted to finish behind Ohio in the East is Marshall with 56 points. In third is Akron with 53 points, finishing one point ahead of Kent State with 52 points.
Only ten points separated the first and fourth spot in the East, with each of the four schools receiving at least three tallies to win the division.
Rounding out the East Division is Buffalo with 26 points, followed closely by Miami with 24 points.
In the West Division, Ball State is picked to finish second with 67 points, followed by Northern Illinois in third place with 61 points. Each school received one first-place vote.
Bowling Green is picked to finish fourth with 56 points, five points ahead of fifth place occupied by Western Michigan.
Finishing out the West Division is Eastern Michigan and Toledo, with 23 and 17 points, respectively.
2003 MAC Softball
Preseason Coaches Poll
West Division 1. Central Michigan (11).....89 2. Ball State (1)............67 3. Northern Illinois (1).....61 4. Bowling Green.............56 5. Western Michigan..........51 6. Eastern Michigan..........23 7. Toledo....................17East Division 1. Ohio (3)..................62 2. Marshall (3)..............56 3. Akron (3).................53 4. Kent State (4)............52 5. Buffalo...................26 6. Miami.....................24
First-place votes in parentheses
Tournament Winner: Central Michigan 9; Ball State, Northern Illinois, Ohio 1
