SPARTANBURG, S.C. — Georgia Southern Softball has been picked as the preseason favorite by the Southern Conference coaches.
Sarah Purvis was named preseason pitcher of the year while Kourtny Thomas and Shelby Morrill each garnered spots on the preseason all-conference team.
Georgia Southern was picked as the preseason favorite for the second-straight year and won its second-straight league title in 2013 with a dramatic 11-inning win over UNCG in the championship game. The Eagles picked up the maximum number of first place votes on offer, seven, with coaches not allowed to vote for their own team.
This is the second-straight preseason pitcher of the year award for Purvis, who was named SoCon pitcher of the year each of the last two seasons.
Last year, Purvis won 18 games and tossed a pair of perfect games — the only two in program history — including one against Hampton in an elimination game in the NCAA tournament.
Purvis was also named preseason all-SoCon first team in the announcement.
Thomas was named preseason all-SoCon first team at shortstop after leading the Eagles last year in home runs with 12. Her final long-ball of the season was the shot that clinched the 11-inning win over UNCG in the SoCon title game.
Morrill picked up preseason all-SoCon second team at designated player and led the Eagles at the plate last year with a .340 average.
She hit seven home runs and led the squad with three triples.
The Eagles open the 2014 campaign, the program’s final season in the SoCon, on Feb. 7, in the Eagle Round Robin Tournament in Statesboro.