2015 GLIAC Softball Coaches' Preseason Poll

It may be a new-look Grand Valley State softball team in the 2015 season, but one thing that remains consistent is where the team is projected to finish in the league standings. The 2015 GLIAC Softball Coaches' Preseason Poll was released on Tuesday (Feb. 10) and GVSU was voted to finish third out of the 14-team field.
 
For the first time since 1991, the Laker softball team will be coached by someone other than Doug 'Doc' Woods. His former player and longtime assistant coach Dana Callihan takes over the reins of the GVSU program and does so with one of the younger teams in recent Laker memory. While Grand Valley State brings back 11 letterwinners and five starters, 14 of the 19 players are underclassmen and the Lakers have just one senior on the roster.
 
Furthermore, every starter from the 2013 GVSU team that advanced to the College World Series has since graduated. Despite the youth and relative inexperience, the Lakers received 138 points in the league's preseason poll, as voted on by the GLIAC head coaches.
 
Wayne State, who advanced to the World Series last season and captured the GLIAC Tournament title, recorded 12 of the 14 first-place votes and picked up 168 points to lead the preseason voting. Ohio Dominican finished second with one first-place vote and 149 points after winning the GLIAC regular season title in 2014.
 
With 128 points and the other first-place vote, Saginaw Valley State finished behind GVSU in fourth place in the poll. Ashland (127 points) and Northwood (108) came in fifth and sixth place, respectively.
 
Walsh (97), Tiffin (82), Findlay (74), Hillsdale (68), Ferris State (59), Lake Superior State (32), Lake Erie (24), and Malone (23) rounded out the preseason voting.
 
In 2014, Grand Valley State went 30-14 overall and finished 16-6 in GLIAC competition. The Lakers advanced to the NCAA Midwest Region Tournament for the fourth straight season. In replacing Woods - the former 24-year Laker head coach who recorded 889 career wins - Callihan has the benefit of some talented young players on the roster.
 
Junior hurler Sara Andrasik is expected to be the team's ace in 2015. Last season, the righthander went 12-7 and tossed 124.1 innings, which came on the heels of a 20-4 campaign where she was named GLIAC Freshman of the Year. In 2013, Andrasik owned a 1.59 ERA, struck out 161 batters, and was a key contributor to that year's World Series team.
 
Sophomore second baseman Jenna Lenza was named to the Daktronics All-Midwest Region team last year after hitting .348 and notching 26 RBI. A starter in all 44 games, Lenza totaled 15 extra base hits (nine doubles, two triples, four homers). Classmate Kelsey Dominguez will be a fixture in the outfield. Last year as a true freshman, Dominguez made 33 starts in 37 games, hitting .318 with 14 ribbies and scoring 27 times. That duo committed just four errors in 133 chances.
 
A pair of juniors returns, as infielder/outfielder McKenze Supernaw (42 starts, 34 hits, nine doubles) and outfielder Chelsea Horvath (24 starts, 20 runs scored) saw extensive time in the starting lineup last year. Sophomore Marianne Deppe started all 44 games as the Lakers' catcher last season and owned a .985 fielding percentage.
 
Grand Valley State begins the 2015 campaign on Feb. 20-22, where the team will play five games at the Lewis Dome Tournament in Rosemont, Ill. The Lakers are scheduled for a dozen games in Clermont, Fla. on the team's annual spring break trip from Mar. 1-7. GVSU's scheduled home opener is Mar. 17 against Aquinas, while the Lakers open up conference play at Malone and Walsh on Mar. 28-29.