SEMO softball team picked fifth in OVC West

The Southeast Missouri State softball team has been picked to finish fifth out of six squads in the Ohio Valley Conference West Division.

Defending OVC regular-season and tournament champion Tennessee-Martin is the West Division favorite, while Jacksonville State is the East Division favorite based on voting by the league's coaches and sports information directors.

This season marks the first year for divisional play in the OVC, which features 12 teams for the first time in conference history. The OVC tournament will include eight squads for the first time.

Southeast, which received one first-place vote, went 25-30 overall and 13-16 in OVC play last year.

Southeast, which features nine returning players and nine newcomers, opens the season Feb. 7 at Jackson State.

Tennessee-Martin received 14 of 24 first-place votes as the West Division favorite.

-- From staff reports

Eastern Illinois nabbed six first-place votes and was picked second, followed by Murray State (three first-place votes), SIU Edwardsville, Southeast and Austin Peay.

Jacksonville State garnered 21 of 24 first-place votes to lead the East Division.

Tennessee Tech received two first-place votes and was tabbed second, followed by Eastern Kentucky (one first-place vote), Morehead State, first-year OVC member Belmont and Tennessee State.

-- From staff report