Portales, NM – The Eastern New Mexico softball team has been selected to finish 15th in the 2020 Lone Star Conference Preseason Coaches Poll.
Voted on by coaches and media representative from across the league, the Hounds collected 135 votes, 53 votes more than 16th place UT Permian Basin. Following UTPB in 17th place is Western New Mexico, who received 62 votes. Last year the Hounds finished with an overall record of 12-30 and 8-22 in conference play.
Texas A&M-Kingsville received 32 first place votes and accumulated 692 total votes to enter the season as the preseason favorite following their second Lone Star Conference Tournament Championship, earning an automatic bid into the NCAA Division II Softball Championship. Texas A&M-Commerce received 666 total votes to enter the 2020 season ranked second in the preseason poll, while Tarleton State, Cameron and Oklahoma Christian rounded out the top five places in the poll.
Second year head coach Kira Zeiter will lead the Hounds into a 2020 season that will feature a newly expanded Lone Star Conference with seven returners and three seniors on her roster. One of those senior leaders will be Elysa Rodriguez, who led the Hounds with 119 bats last season and recorded a batting average of .286.
Another returning senior, Samantha Brockman impressed in her early years as a Hound. Brockman appeared in all 42 games last season as a junior and finished second on the team with 113 at bats. Brockman also recorded six multi-hit games and two or more RBI's in a game twice.
Sophomore Iliana Mendoza comes back to the Hounds after an impressive freshman season. Mendoza recorded a .373 batting average and led the team with 38 hits and 18 runs scored. Mendoza was named Third Team All-LSC as a true freshman.
Zeiter has added depth to the pitching circle after graduating both starting pitchers, with five freshman and one transfer that will battle for innings throughout the season. The Hounds will feature a total of 15 freshman on their opening day roster.
Greyhound softball will start their season on the road during the first weekend of February when they travel to Las Vegas, N.M. for a double header against New Mexico Highlands. The Hounds will not see home action until March 6th against UT Permian Basin.
