Concordia Picked to Win CCC Softball Crown

2/1/2011 9:53:08 AM

2011 NAIA Preseason Top 25 Poll

PORTLAND, Ore. – Defending Cascade Collegiate Conference champion Concordia University is the unanimous choice to win the 2011 CCC softball crown, according a preseason poll of the conference’s seven head coaches.

The Cavaliers, who are ranked fourth nationally in the NAIA preseason Top 25 poll, open their season Feb. 11 at the Simpson Invitational in Redding, Calif.

Concordia, coming off a 35-7 campaign that concluded at the NAIA Championships, earned all seven first-place votes and totaled 49 points in the poll.

Oregon Tech was picked to finish second, and was followed by Corban, College of Idaho, Southern Oregon, Northwest Christian and Eastern Oregon.

The winner of the CCC’s regular season crown will earn the right to host the conference’s three-team postseason tournament. The winner of the CCC postseason tournament will earn the conference’s automatic bid to the NAIA Championships.

The NAIA Championships are scheduled for May 19-25 in Gulf Shores, Ala.

Concordia returns four All-CCC players among its nine returning starters from 2010, including the conference Player of the Year (shortstop Ali Paz) and conference Pitcher of the Year (Renee Santos). Paz batted .390 and drove in 38 runs; Santos, who was 16-3 a year ago, ranked No. 2 in the NAIA in strikeouts per nine innings (15.6), 12 in opponent batting average (.167) and 12th in total strikeouts (239).
 
Offensively, Concordia returns five players who batted over. 300. CU last year led the CCC in hitting (.329), pitching (1.90 ERA) and fielding percentage (.972).

Oregon Tech and Corban both received votes in the NAIA preseason Top 25 poll.

2011 CCC Preseason Poll