BOSTON — Reigning America East regular-season champion Stony Brook University is the preseason favorites to capture the softball crown again in 2014 as the Seawolves were tabbed first in the preseason poll by the league’s head coaches Friday afternoon. Stony Brook received five first-place votes and 34 points in a vote of the league’s head coaches, who were not allowed to vote for their own team.
University at Albany, the 2014 league champion, received two first-place votes and 30 points, to come in second place while Binghamton University followed in third place with 28 points. University of Maine (21 points) was in fourth, followed by UMBC in fifth (17). UMass Lowell (10) and University of Hartford rounded out the seven-team poll.
The four-team America East Championship will take place May 7-9 at the site of the top seed with the winner of the tournament receiving an automatic bid to the NCAA Softball Championship, where America East teams have won seven games and advanced to two regional final games since 2007.
2015 Preseason Poll
Rank Team (1st-place votes) Points
1. Stony Brook (5) 34
2. Albany (2) 31
3. Binghamton 28
4. Maine 21
5. UMBC 17
6. UMass Lowell 10
7. Hartford 7
Team Previews
Stony Brook Seawolves (34-18, 15-2 AE)
- Tabbed preseason favorite after capturing the league’s 2014 regular-season crown.
- Return 10 letterwinners from a team that went 30-8 over its final 38 games.
- Two-time America East Pitcher of the Year Allison Cukrov is back after winning a league-best 23 games and posting a 2.10 ERA last season.
- Second-team all-conference outfielders Shayla Giosia and Bria Green, who combined to hit .304 with 43 extra-base hits and 85 RBI last year.
- The Seawolves will face eight teams that reached the NCAA tournament last year and open their season Feb. 20 in Fort Myers.
Albany Great Danes (34-13, 14-3 AE)
- Coming off a season in which they won fifth America East title and won an NCAA contest.
- Five all-conference players return for the Great Danes led by first-team shortstop Maggie Cocks, who batted .and reigning Rookie of the Year Elizabeth Snow.
- Will have to replace Brittany MacFawn, the program's all-time wins leader, in the circle. The Great Danes led the league with a 2.66 team ERA last season.
- Start their season Feb. 20 at Florida Atlantic's tournament.
Binghamton Bearcats (22-25, 10-7 AE)
- Selected third and seek their third-straight championship appearance.
- Led the league with a .288 team batting average last season.
- Reigning America East Player of the Year Sydney Harbaugh (.366, 40 R, 30 SB) will lead the Bearcats' returnees.
- Binghamton kicks off its season at Georgia Southern's tournament on Feb 13.
Maine Black Bears (18-19, 8-9 AE)
- Selected fourth after improving its win total by 10 from 2013.
- Seven starters and 12 letterwinners will be back for Maine, including first-team All-America East outfielder Jessica Burk, who was second among league leaders with a .384 batting average last year.
- Maine kicks off its season with five games at North Florida Feb. 13-15.
UMBC Retrievers (31-22, 8-9 AE)
- Chosen fifth after reaching the America East Championship for the first time since 2011, improving its win total by 20 games from 2013 and leading the league with 266 runs last year.
- Taylor Hall, America East batting champion (.397) and first-team all-leaguer leads 15 returning letterwinners.
- Start play Feb. 6 at Charleston Southern's tournament.
UMass Lowell (13-36, 3-13 AE)
- Picked sixth as the River Hawks begin their first season under new head coach Danielle Henderson.
- The River Hawks start their season Feb. 6 at the Charleston Challenge.
Hartford Hawks (8-30, 2-16 AE)
- First-year head coach Sarah Kalka takes over a squad that looks to get back to the America East Championship for the second time in three years.
- Hartford starts its season Feb. 27 with five games at Winthrop's tournament.