Softball: Hawks picked fifth in GLVC West

The Rockhurst softball team was picked to finish fifth in the Great Lakes Valley Conference West Division in a vote by the league’s 16 head coaches.

Rockhurst received 74 points in the GLVC Preseason Coaches’ Poll, six behind Quincy for fourth-place in the poll. Missouri-St. Louis received 12 first-place votes and 115 points as it was picked to win the West Division. Defending champion Lewis finished first in the GLVC East Division poll.

The Hawks open the season Feb. 11-12 in the Ouachita Baptist/Henderson State Classic in Arkadelphia, Ark. Rockhurst’s first home game is March 1 when it hosts Southern Indiana in a Great Lakes Valley Conference opener at 2 p.m.

Rockhurst returns 11 starters from last year’s team, which finished the 2011 season with a 23-29 record. The Hawks closed the season with a 14-5 record, highlighted by school-record nine-game winning streak.

Galen Struve begins his eighth season as head coach of the Hawks. His roster features five seniors, seven juniors, five sophomores and two freshmen.

The pitching staff will be bolstered by senior Megan Holm (All-GLVC in 2011) and junior Kayla Hoyer. The two combined for 19 wins, 24 complete games and 191 strikeouts last year. Senior catcher Lizzy Tucker also returns after hitting .248 with four home runs and 29 RBIs last year.

Junior shortstop Natalie Johnson and junior outfielder Amanda Burger also will provide leadership in 2012. Johnson  hit .333 with two home runs and 25 RBIs, while Burger hit .299 with five home runs and 24 RBIs to earn All-GLVC honors.

Sophomore third baseman Alex Jacobson, junior outfielder/catcher Debbie Lewis and sophomore second baseman Liz Desloge also batted over .300 last year while combining for 47 runs scored and 30 RBIs.

Rockhurst is scheduled to play 11 doubleheaders at the Loyola Park Softball Field. The GLVC Tournament will be played April 27-29 in East Peoria, Illinois.