Shocker SB Second in Preseason Poll

[flyingMoose]

http://www.kansas.com/sports/college/wichita-state/article128657074.html#emlnl=Afternoon_Headlines

http://www.mvc-sports.com/softball/news/2016-17/9327/drake-picked-as-preseason-softball-favorites/#.WIkwL2QrIlI

Drake are picked first with 92 points and six first-place votes. They only graduated one senior and return the 2016 Valley Pitcher of the Year.

The Shockers have 88 points and three first-place votes. Mackenzie Wright and Macklin Hitz are picks for the the Preseason All MVC Team.

Southern Illinois are the pick for third with 82 points. Northern Iowa in fourth has the other first-place vote.

[1972Shocker]

The Shocks roughed up Drake's Nicole Newman, the 2016 Valley Pitcher of the Year, in 2 regular season games and the Valley Tournament Championship game. The Shocks put up 20 runs (19 earned) on 26 hits in 17.2 innings of work by Newman for a 7.53 ERA last year as the Shocks beat Drake 4 times by a combined score of 30-5.

Admittedly Cacy William, Britney Fortner and Liz Broyles who all graduated did a lot of the damage. In the 3 games in which Newman pitched the Shocker trio combined to hit 16-27 (0.593) with 12 RBI's.

The Shocker pitching was just as impressive in those 4 games pitching two 7-inning shut-outs and allowing only 5 runs in the other two games (one a 5 inning run rule) for a 1.35 ERA.

Despite losing the Big 3 on offense I don't think the Shockers are going to concede anything to Drake.

Hopefully, Jenni is able to come back as good or better than ever.