Conference tabs Southeast Missouri State softball team for fifth

The Southeast Missouri State softball team has been picked to finish fifth in the Ohio Valley Conference.

Defending OVC tournament champion Jacksonville State is the preseason favorite based on voting by the league's coaches and sports information directors.

Southeast went 31-30 overall and 17-12 in OVC play last year to place fifth among 11 squads.

The Redhawks came within one win of capturing the OVC tournament title before falling to Jacksonville State in the finals.

Jacksonville State received 14 first-place votes and 190 points in the preseason poll.

Eastern Illinois, last year's OVC regular-season champion, earned two first-place votes and 162 points for second place. Tennessee-Martin nabbed three first-place votes and 159 points.

SIU Edwardsville (139 points), Southeast (132) and Tennessee Tech (117) all received one first-place vote.

Rounding out the poll are Murray State (109), Eastern Kentucky (75), Morehead State (61), Austin Peay (37) and Tennessee State (24).

Southeast opens the season Feb. 9 at Jackson State.