SOFTBALL PICKED FIFTH IN BIG SOUTH PRESEASON POLL

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – The Radford softball team was picked to finish fifth in the Big South Conference Preseason Poll, which was announced by the league office on Wednesday.

The Highlanders have finished the last three seasons with a .500 or better record in conference play and were runners-up in the 2018 Big South Championships. In the 2020 preseason poll Radford earned 52 points, which is based on a weighted system. The Highlanders finished just two points behind fourth-place Winthrop and five points behind third-place Campbell.

Longwood sits atop the poll with 80 points and eight first place votes. USC Upstate brings in one first place vote and 67 points for second place. Just 10 points separate the second and third-place teams.

Charleston Southern claims sixth place in the poll with 33 points – 19 points away from the Highlanders, while Gardner-Webb is in seventh place with 26 points. Hampton follows in eighth place with 21 points and Presbyterian rounds out the poll with 15 points in ninth place.

The Highlanders have good core pieces returning, and will have eight newcomers thrown into the mix. Sydney Fisher had an incredible year offensively last season, after finishing the year ninth in the country with 82 hits. She batted .396 and had led the team with 26 multi-hit games.

Jessie Marvin returns for her junior season as one of the go-to pitchers in the circle. She led the team with a career-high 178.0 innings and picked up 13 wins with 78 punch outs (both career-high). She finished the season with a sub-3.00 ERA (2.95), which ranked sixth in the Big South.

Radford opens its season on Friday, Feb. 14 against Elon in the Elon Softball Phoenix Invitational.

2020 Big South Conference Preseason Softball Poll
   1. Longwood (8) 80
   2. USC Upstate (1) 67
   3. Campbell 57
   4. Winthrop 54
   5. Radford 52
   6. Charleston Southern 33
   7. Gardner-Webb 26
   8. Hampton 21
   9. Presbyterian 15

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Players Mentioned

#7 Sydney Fisher: IF/OF; 5' 5"; Junior; L/R

#6 Jessie Marvin: P; 5' 7"; Junior; R/R

Players Mentioned

#7 Sydney Fisher
: 5' 5"; Junior; L/R
: IF/OF

#6 Jessie Marvin
: 5' 7"; Junior; R/R
: P

Radford University Athletics

Players Mentioned

#7 Sydney Fisher

#6 Jessie Marvin

Players Mentioned

#7 Sydney Fisher

#6 Jessie Marvin