PORTLAND, Ore. – Defending Cascade Collegiate Conference champion College of Idaho is a unanimous favorite to capture the 2010 CCC softball title, according to a preseason vote of the conference’s seven head coaches.
The Yotes, who have advanced to the NAIA World Series each of the past two seasons, earned all seven first-place votes while totaling 49 points overall in the balloting.
Southern Oregon, which finished runner-up to C of I last year, totaled 39 points and was picked second. Concordia, which placed third in last year’s regular season standings, totaled 36 points and placed third. Oregon Tech (30 points), Corban (20), Northwest Christian (14) and Eastern Oregon (8) rounded out the preseason poll.
C of I coach Al Mendiola, who is 117-75 in his fifth season as the Yotes coach, returns 14 letterwinners and five starters from last year’s 34-18 squad, including senior pitcher Jody Zillner, an NAIA honorable mention All-American who went 22-8 and fanned 246 batters in 2009. Zillner was also named the CCC’s Pitcher of the Year. Other top returnees for the Yotes include senior first baseman Dani Villyard, a career .318 hitter; senior shortstop Amy Rhoades, a career .292 hitter; and junior catcher Kalie Kurdy, who has nine homers in her two-year career.
The Yotes are ranked 15th in the NAIA preseason Top 25 poll, released Tuesday. Two other CCC programs, Southern Oregon and Concordia, received votes in the poll.
Southern Oregon, under the direction of fourth-year coach Kim Fritts, returns 19 letterwinners and six starters from last year’s CCC runner-up squad. Key returnees include pitcher Jordyn Kurtz and outfielders Meghan Laughlin and Kathryn Moy.
SOU and Corban open the 2010 season with games later this week.
The top three teams in the CCC’s final regular season standings will meet in the conference’s postseason tournament May 7-8 to determine the league’s automatic berth in the NAIA World Series. The regular season champion will host the CCC tournament.
The NAIA World Series is slated for May 20-26 in Decatur, Ala.