SPARTANBURG, S.C. - The Samford softball team was selected tied for second when the Southern Conference released the Preseason Coaches Poll this afternoon. The Bulldogs had Olivia Shaw named the Preseason Player of the Year, while Katie Campbell and Joi Hubbard were named First Team All-SoCon.

Shaw earns Preseason Player of the Year honors after two stellar seasons with the Bulldogs to start her career. After being named Co-Freshman of the Year in her first season, Shaw followed up with a stellar sophomore campaign. She hit .381 last season with 22 doubles and 10 home runs while scoring 49 runs and driving in 55. She was named First Team All-SoCon last season and was runner-up in the Player of the Year race.

Campbell has broken the Samford single-season RBI record in back-to-back seasons during her first two years with the Bulldogs. She had 56 as a freshman and 60 as a sophomore playing as a catcher, designated player, and first base. She hit .328 last season and added nine homers.

Hubbard earns First Team honors after she was named to the All-Freshman team after last season in the league. She hit .319 on the year with 45 hits in 141 at-bats while scoring 38 runs and 21 RBIs while setting a school record with 30 stolen bases on the season. The Georgia native had 13 multi-hit games, 11 doubles, two home runs, and scored multiple runs in nine different games.

The Bulldogs were picked to finish tied for second in the Preseason Coaches Poll behind UNCG which had four of eight first-place votes and tied with Chattanooga. Samford begins their season in a week, as they start at the JoAnne Graf Classic hosted by Florida State. The Dogs will face the host Seminoles twice, along with Iowa twice, and a game against Marshall. They will return to Birmingham for their home opener against Alabama State on Feb. 10 and host their own tournament from the 13th-15th. Samford is coming off a 33-23 season where they went 12-7 in conference play.

Preseason Poll
Team (First-Place Votes) Points

1. UNCG (4)	43
2. Samford (2)	37
Chattanooga (1)	37
4. Wofford	32
5. Mercer	26
6. Western Carolina (1)	24
7. ETSU	17
8. Furman	8

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