INDIANAPOLIS -- The Great Lakes Valley Conference has announced their softball preseason poll for 2023 and Lewis was voted to finish eighth the league announced Tuesday (Jan. 31). The Flyers received 65 total points.
The preseason poll is determined by the league's head coaches, who, per GLVC Bylaws, are not permitted to vote for their own team. University of Indianapolis was selected as the preseason favorite to win the conference crown.
Lewis is coming off a 24-26 season in 2022 and a 10-18 mark in the GLVC. The Flyers return
Delaney Garden (Carpentersville, IL/Harry D. Jacobs High School), a pitcher/outfielder, that earned all-GLVC accolades last season. Coming into her sophomore season, Garden went 11-10 last year on the mound with a 2.76 earned run average, including four shutouts and a save. She stuck out 109 batters in her 139.2 innings pitched. At the plate, Garden led the Flyers with a .351 batting average, notching 54 hits and 32 runs scored. She drove in 16 runs and stole five bases last season.
The Flyers begin their 2023 campaign Friday, February 3 as the Flyers travel to Missouri Western State University to take on the Griffons starting at 9 a.m. CT. Lewis begins GLVC play Saturday, March 18 as the Flyers travel to Lebanon, Illinois for a doubleheader against McKendree University.
Lewis is led by
Becky Pearl, who will be entering her eighth season as head coach.
FULL POLL BELOW,
GLVC RELEASE
|
Place
|
School
|
Points (1st-Place Votes)
|
|
1.
|
Indianapolis
|
144 (12)
|
|
2.
|
Drury
|
133 (1)
|
|
3.
|
Missouri-St. Louis
|
117
|
|
4.
|
Illinois-Springfield
|
108
|
|
5.
|
Maryville
|
91
|
|
6.
|
Rockhurst
|
87
|
|
7.
|
McKendree
|
86
|
|
8.
|
LEWIS
|
65
|
|
9.
|
Missouri S&T
|
52
|
|
10.
|
Quincy
|
46
|
|
11.
|
William Jewell
|
43
|
|
12.
|
Truman State
|
31
|
|
13.
|
Southwest Baptist
|
12
|
