BURNSVILLE, Minn. – The University of Sioux Falls Softball Team, which finished sixth in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference a year ago, has been picked eighth in the NSIC Preseason Coaches Poll which was released Wednesday (Jan. 23) by the league office.

USF, which will be directed by first-year head coach Shannon Pivovar, received 135 points and finished just behind Concordia-St. Paul, which earned 140 points for seventh. For the fourth time in five years, Winona State has been selected as the league's top team heading into the season. The Warriors received 222 points and 12 first-place votes after a 45-7 season last year which included a 20-2 mark in the NSIC and an appearance in the NCAA Central Region Tournament. WSU won both the regular season and NSIC Tournament titles a year ago. Augustana received 214 points and four first place votes and finished second while Minnesota State was third with 180 points.

The preseason coaches' poll is based off each coach ranking each team from 15 to 1 with the top team receiving 15 points, second 14, third 13, etc. The 2019 NSIC Softball Tournament will consist of the top ten teams in the NSIC final standings competing in a double elimination format on May 2-4 at the RYFSA Complex in Rochester, Minnesota.
 
USF, which has five straight 30-win seasons and earned the No. 6 seed in the NSIC Tourney a year ago, opens the season on Feb. 1 against Metro State in Denver, Colo. On March 26, USF, which was 31-19 and 15-9 for sixth in the NSIC in 2018, will open the conference season against Southwest Minnesota State in Marshall, Minn.

Pivovar has a veteran squad returning with three seniors among seven returning position starters and two key arms back on the mound. Leading USF this year will be a pair of talented performers named "Players to Watch" in the NSIC Preseason Coaches Poll. Those student-athletes include senior pitcher/designated hitter Kerrigan Hoshaw and junior infielder Sydney Nieveen. Sophomore Ashley Meyer, who had 12 home runs, 44 RBI, .619 slugging mark and a .335 batting average, also returns after earning first-team All-NSIC honors as a utility player.

For the third time, USF had three players earn all-league accolades in 2018. Hoshaw, a pitcher and designated player, had a 10-7 record in 21 starts with seven complete games. She also hit .343 with 49 hits and 49 RBI while slugging .594. On the mound, USF also returns junior Courtney Matthews, who was 9-4 with five saves and ranked seventh in the NSIC with a 2.76 ERA.

Nieveen was one of the offensive leaders for USF. She hit .363 with six home runs, 28 RBI, .524 slugging mark and fielded .995. Aside from Nieveen, Meyer and Hoshaw, USF returns Emily Hove at second base. She hit .302 with 21 runs, 49 hits, 12 stolen bases and .463 slugging mark. Junior shortstop Lindsey Mossman had a .329 batting average with 39 runs, 53 hits, five home runs, 33 RBI, 15 steals, .528 slugging mark and .409 OBP. 

Sophomore infielder Cassie Van Beek (.333, .355 OBP), senior infielder Emily Miller (.280, 13 RBI, .352 OBP), sophomore catcher/infielder Emmie Uitts (.989 fielding, 17 assists) and junior outfielder Francesca Mickelson (.266, three home runs, 18 RBIs, .391 slugging) also return along with a wealth of talented newcomers.