Appalachian softball picked seventh in SoCon; Hurt named All-Conference

Posted Saturday, February 5, 2005

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Boone, N.C. – Appalachian State University softball was picked to finish seventh in the Southern Conference this season, according to a poll of the league’s coaches. The coaches also selected Appalachian sophomore Kristyn Hurt of Siler City, N.C. as the first-team designated player on the league’s preseason all-conference squad.

Appalachian, which finished 2004 with a 22-39 overall record and an eighth-place finish in the league standings, was predicted to finish seventh this season, ranking ahead of Furman. Coach Willie Rucker’s Mountaineer squad returns a young squad but experienced squad that contains six returning starters but just two seniors.

Hurt was a second-team all-SoCon selection as a designated player in 2004. As a freshman, she led ASU with a .298 batting average to go along with three home runs and a .476 slugging percentage.

The complete preseason poll, as voted on by the league’s eight head coaches, is listed below.

2005 SoCon Preseason Softball Poll
1. Chattanooga
2. College of Charleston
3. Georgia Southern
4. Elon
5. UNC Greensboro
6. East Tennessee State
7. Appalachian State
8. Furman