Softball 1/29/2020 3:00:00 PM

UCO Tops League Poll, Opens Season This Weekend

Defending Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association champion Central Oklahoma is favored to take the title again in 2020, according to the preseason coaches' poll released by the league office Wednesday.

The No. 7-ranked Bronchos -- who make their season debut this weekend at the Arkansas Tech Winter Festival in Conroe, Texas – received 12 first-place votes in balloting of the 14 head coaches and finished with 168 points.

Missouri Western came in second in the poll with one first-place vote and 152 points and Central Missouri was third with the remaining first-place nod and 136 points, while. Rogers State and Washburn tied for fourth. Emporia State and Northeastern State tied for sixth, followed by Missouri Southern, Fort Hays State, Nebraska-Kearney, Northwest Missouri, Newman and Lincoln.

UCO will be tested right out of the gate this weekend, with its first three games against top-15 teams. The Bronchos will play six Lone Star Conference opponents in the three-day tournament at the Scrap Yard Sports Complex.

The Bronchos open at 10 a.m. Friday against No. 2 Texas A&M-Kingsville, then take on No. 10 Texas A&M-Commerce at 3 p.m. UCO returns Saturday to face No. 15 Cameron at 3 p.m. and Angelo State at 5:30 p.m. before finishing Sunday against Texas Woman's at 10:30 a.m. and Texas-Permian Basin at 3 p.m.

The Javelinas were national runners-up last season in finishing 52-10, while TAMU-C went 40-14, Cameron 39-18 and Angelo 34-20.

"It's going to be as tough an opening weekend as we've ever had," seventh-year head coach Cody White said. "We jump right into it and will really have to be ready to go, but our players are excited about getting started.

"We've had some injuries that will impact us and will have to work around that. We're just taking the next-one-up approach. Our players know that if they get an opportunity then it's time to step up and do the job."

UCO returns five position starters and two starting pitchers from last year's 48-8 team that advanced to the NCAA Division II Central Super Regional before falling to eventual national champion Augustana.

Leading the Bronchos will be a pair of returning All-Americans along with two All-MIAA performers.

Sophomore Bailey McKittrick was the MIAA Pitcher of the Year, the National Fastpitch Coaches Association Freshman of the Year and a second-team All-America selection after going 26-5 with a 2.11 earned run average and just 51 walks in 179 1/3 innings.

Senior outfielder Hazel Puempel hit .393 with 17 doubles, six home runs, 54 runs batted in and a school-record 45 walks in earning first-team All-MIAA and third-team All-America honors.

Senior pitcher Sydney McLeod was a first-team All-MIAA pick after going 19-3 with a 2.53 ERA, while junior outfielder Lexy Dobson batted .397 with 10 doubles and 33 RBI in garnering second-team All-MIAA recognition.

Senior catcher Halley Randolph, junior shortstop Brighton Gilbert and junior utility Allie Eicher round out UCO's returning starters.

The Bronchos follow this weekend's action with a 19-game homestand, starting with the UCO-OC Invitational Feb. 7-9.

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Players Mentioned

#8 Lexy Dobson: OF; 5' 6"; Sophomore; R/R

#10 Allie Eicher: IF; 5' 7"; Sophomore; L/R

#17 Halley Randolph: C; 5' 9"; Junior; R/R

#27 Bailey McKittrick: P; 5' 7"; Freshman; R/R

#35 Sydney McLeod: P; 5' 10"; Junior; -/L

#28 Hazel Puempel: UT; 5' 9"; Junior; L/R

#5 Brighton Gilbert: UT; 5' 5"; Sophomore; L/R

Players Mentioned

#8 Lexy Dobson
: 5' 6"; Sophomore; R/R
: OF

#10 Allie Eicher
: 5' 7"; Sophomore; L/R
: IF

#17 Halley Randolph
: 5' 9"; Junior; R/R
: C

#27 Bailey McKittrick
: 5' 7"; Freshman; R/R
: P

#35 Sydney McLeod
: 5' 10"; Junior; -/L
: P

#28 Hazel Puempel
: 5' 9"; Junior; L/R
: UT

#5 Brighton Gilbert
: 5' 5"; Sophomore; L/R
: UT