Boston College Athletics
Women's Softball Selected to Finish First
June 21, 1999 | Softball
Feb. 6, 1998
CHESTNUT HILL, Mass.-- The Boston College softball team was selected to finish first in the 1998 BIG EAST North Division by the league's head coaches in the preseason poll. The Eagles received six first-place votes by the eight head coaches in the league.
Boston College is coming off the most successful season in school history in which the Eagles registered a 36-13 overall record and a 11-5 mark in the BIG EAST. The Eagles captured their first BIG EAST Tournament championship, and received Boston College's first berth ever in the NCAA Tournament. Five players earned BIG EAST All-Conference awards, and Mary Dietz was named BIG EAST Rookie of the Year. Dietz was also named the Most Outstanding Performer at the league tournament after recording two victories, including a no-hitter against the University of Connecticut.
In addition to the accomplishments on the field, the Eagles excelled in the classroom in 1997. Eight members of the softball team earned the Athletic Director's Award for Academic Achievement, given to student-athletes that have a cumulative GPA of 3.00 and above. Alexis Beckman, Deb Nasitka, and Laura Thompson were named to the GTE Academic All-America District I team.
Each softball team in the BIG EAST will play a 17-game conference schedule in 1998, competing against divisional opponents three times and non-divisional opponents twice. The two divisional winners based on conference winning percentage and an at-large team from each division will participate in the 1998 BIG EAST Softball Championship at Notre Dame on Saturday, May 2 and Sunday, May 3. The winner of the double-elimination tournament receives the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Championship.
1998 BIG EAST SOFTBALL PRESEASON COACHES POLL
North Division
Points
1. Boston College (6) 27
2. Connecticut (2) 23
t3. Providence 13
t3. St. John's 13
South Division
Points
1. Notre Dame (6) 27
2. Rutgers (2) 23
3. Villanova 16
4. Seton Hall 10
*First-place votes in parentheses
