WICHITA, Kan. - The Missouri Valley Conference announced Wednesday that the Wichita State softball team was picked to finish eighth by league coaches.

Defending MVC Tournament champion Illinois State and Southern Illinois tied for the top spot with 85 points and two first place votes each. Consequently, the two teams with the most first place votes, Northern Iowa and Creighton with three apiece, were picked to finish third and fourth, respectively. The top four teams were separated by a mere five points after all the votes were tallied.

The Shocker are picked eighth for the second consecutive season, but second year head coach Kristi Bredbenner will be looking to advance her young squad up the conference ladder with a host of new faces.

Click here for a link to the Missouri Valley Conference official preseason release.

Wichita State begins the 2013 season in Monroe, La. on Fri., Feb. 8 at the Mardi Gras Classic against UC-Santa Barbara. The Mardi Gras Classic will be the first of four consecutive preseason tournaments for the Shockers, who will be well traveled by the time they play their first home games Wed., March 6 against 2012 national runner-up Oklahoma.

 

 -WICHITA STATE-