After finishing last season with a 14-34 record and 7-13 within the league, the Eastern softball team was voted seventh by the head coaches in the Ohio Valley Conference preseason poll.

Eastern received 30 total points, edging out Austin Peay (29 points) for the seventh spot in the 10-team conference. Defending league and tournament champion Tennessee Tech picked up 76 points and six first-place votes. Newcomer Jacksonville State was a distant second with 65 points and two first-place votes. Eastern Kentucky placed third with 60 points, and Southeast Missouri and Tennessee-Martin tied for fourth with 55 points and one first-place vote each.

“I had a chance to look over the rankings and I think they are justified,” Tennessee-Martin head coach Donley Canary said. “Tennessee Tech won our conference last year and they are projected first. Jacksonville State fared well in their conference (Atlantic Sun) and last year Eastern Kentucky finished in second and now they are picked third, so the rankings pretty much followed last season.”

Although Tennessee Tech dominated the voting, Canary believes the OVC is a circuit up for grabs when the league schedule begins on March 16.

“Anyone can beat anybody in this league,” Canary said. “Four or five teams like Tennessee Tech, Jacksonville State, Eastern Kentucky, us (Tennessee-Martin) and even Eastern Illinois can win this conference.”

Despite Canary’s comments, the Golden Eagles will certainly go into league play with a bull’s eye. Tech finished last season 41-16 overall and 17-3 in the OVC. The Golden Eagles will return 12 letter winners and six starters including four members (catcher Kacey Bennett, pitchers Lori Bayless, Tia Benning and second baseman Samantha Lovelady) who were 2003 All-OVC selections.

Eastern Kentucky should keep things in the conference close by returning 12 letter winners including five starters from a team that went 29-18 and 13-7 in the league. Shortstop Diana Barrerass finished last season with a .307 batting average en route to a 2003 All-OVC second team selection. Senior Jennifer Christiansen will patrol the outfield and was a 2003 first team All-Conference pick. Christiansen also led the team with a .323 batting average and was near the team-lead with 42 hits and 21 runs batted in.

According to Canary, new clubs Jacksonville State and Samford could contend for a league title right away. Jacksonville State won 40 games last season and finished 12-10 in the Atlantic Sun. The Gamecocks return 10 letter winners including junior Breanne Oleman who split between the outfield and pitching positions. At the plate, Oleman hit .267 with 38 runs batted in and on the mound she struck out 50 batters in 61.1 innings while posting a 1.48 earned run average.

Samford has high hopes this year after a 27-17-1 record in the Atlantic Sun Conference. The Bulldogs boast a solid group of upperclassmen to go along with six freshmen. Second baseman Kelly Smith is one of three returning starters with an average over .300.

“Both teams appear to be very strong,” Canary said. “Jacksonville State suffered a tragic loss (when three-year starter Tera Ross was killed in a car accident last December) otherwise they would be right up there at the top with Tennessee Tech.”

Canary stated Samford’s veteran head coach Beanie Ketcham should make the team even stronger.

“She does a really great job with the team,” Canary said. “Samford and Jacksonville State will definitely upgrade our conference.”

Eastern will hit the diamond without four key seniors from last year. Gone are catcher Kristen Darnell, designated hitter Jen Green, outfielder Carrie Ninness and pitching ace Kristen Becker.

The Panthers will rely on senior Kristen Lovering to key the offense. Last season, Lovering was a First Team All-OVC selection after leading the Panthers in batting average (.287), home runs (4) and runs batted in with 21. The pitching staff will be young and unproven as sophomore Ashley Condon becomes the ace of the staff. Condon appeared in nine games last year going 1-9 with a 6.91 earned run average in 50.2 innings.

Eastern opens their season in Charleston, S.C. at the Charleston Southern Invitational Feb. 27.