2010 UMAC Preseason Coaches' Poll
1. College of St. Scholastica - 49 points (7 First Place Votes)
2. Northland College - 41 points (1)
3. Northwestern College - 38 points
T-4. University of Minnesota-Morris - 27 points
T-4. Martin Luther College - 27 points
6. Bethany Lutheran College - 21 points
7. Crown College - 12 points
8. Presentation College - 9 points
ST. PAUL -- The College of St. Scholastica, winner of the 2009 UMAC regular season championship and 10 of the last 11 league titles, was predicted to finish atop the conference yet again in 2010 following a poll of the UMAC coaches. The Saints earned 49 points and seven first place votes to unanimously win the preseason poll.
St. Scholastica is coming off one of its most prolific offensive seasons to date, scoring a record-351 runs and maintaining a program-best .373 batting average in 2009. The Saints finished last year's season winning 26 of their final 28 games that included victories over 2008 NCAA Champion UW-Eau Claire and 2009 third-place finisher Gustavus Adolphus. 2009 UMAC Player of the Year and NFCA All-Midwest Region Second Team member #Kristin Swartz# returns to head coach
Jen Walter's lineup, as does all-region second team member #Theresa Tauer#. Tauer led the UMAC with a .487 batting average and 47 RBI during her freshman campaign of 2009. In the pitcher's circle, a pair of UMAC First Team All-Conference hurlers in #Jen Falk# and #Kayla Jenkins# heads a staff that is one of Walter's deepest ever.
Finishing in the same order in the poll as they did in the 2009 final conference standings, Northland College and Northwestern College earned second and third places, respectively, in the UMAC preseason poll. The LumberJills from Northland earned one first place vote en route to 41 points, besting Northwestern's 38 points by three. Northland, who went 16-5 in UMAC play last year, will be meshing a solid base of returners with newcomers in 2010. Three of the four infield positions, as well as that of catcher, feature returning starters led by all-conference honoree Asia DeVlaeminck. DeVlaeminick hit a whopping .515 last year with 33 RBI. Brittany Schmitt, who picked up 12 UMAC wins last season to go with a 2.73 ERA before being named to the all-conference team, returns to the circle to lead the Northland pitching staff, which will also include Kristin Zimmer and Kylie Garing.
Without three of the team's top players from a year ago, Northwestern will have a new look in 2010. After finishing her first season as the team's head coach with a 14-7 UMAC record, Alicia du'Monceaux is optimistic about this season with a wealth of young talent. Du'Monceaux's go-to player will be senior pitcher Amanda Rodgers, who has seen extensive playing time since her freshman season. Rodgers paced the Eagle pitchers last year while ending the season with a .360 batting average. Ashley Olson, who led the team in ERA, shutouts and saves in 2009, also returns to Northwestern's lineup. Besides pitching, the outfield may be the most veteran part of the team, with Alyssa Borgstrom headlining a trio of returning players.
The University of Minnesota-Morris and Martin Luther College tied for fourth place in the preseason poll with each school earning 27 points. The Cougars from Morris hope to improve on their 12-9 record from 2009 (fourth place) with eight starters returning to the lineup, including catcher Julie Rohling. Rohling earned All-UMAC accolades in 2009 after posting a .294 batting average to go with eight stolen bases. Liz Leuty and Diane Blommel, a pair of two-time UMAC All-Defensive team members, will join Rohling on the field yet again in 2010. Leuty hit .379 with 13 steals last season while Blommel maintained a .289 batting average.
Just two hours southeast of Morris sits Martin Luther, who finished an even 10-10 in UMAC play last year, which was good for fifth place in the conference standings. Head coach Barb Leopold and the Knights return nearly their entire lineup and pitching staff from the 2009 squad. Leopold's lineup figures to be strong throughout, with middle-of-the-order fixtures Brittany Jensen and Karla Opperman returning. Opperman was one of two freshmen in the UMAC to be named to the all-conference first team last year, while Jensen joined fellow returner April Cook as an honorable mention all-conference award-winner. Heather Korb and Sarah Free will lead the Martin Luther hurlers in 2010. Together, the two combined to start 28 games, 13 of which were wins last season.
Coming in sixth place in the preseason survey with 21 points was Bethany Lutheran College. The Vikings will have a strong group of senior leadership this season after finishing the 2009 season with a 7-14 UMAC record. Brittany Schlomer, a previous UMAC All-Defensive Team selection, will start at center field while Susan Hegstrom moves from shortstop to third base in 2010. At the plate, Hegstrom led Bethany with a .394 batting average and 14 stolen bases. Amanda Edmison, an all-conference honorable mention winner, returns to the field after batting .348 with four home runs and 31 RBI in 2009.
Crown College and Presentation College round out the league's eight teams, garnering 12 and nine points, respectively, in the 2010 coaches' poll. Both teams will have new coaches this season, with Ed Harkness taking over at Crown, while Evan Ormand will give the signs at Presentation. Both teams will be looking to build off of shaky 2009 seasons that amounted to a combined three wins in conference play.
Most UMAC teams will get their feet wet with early-season games in fields covered by domes or warmer weather before kicking off the conference schedule in the beginning of April. All eight teams will circle the weekend of April 30-May 1 when the UMAC crossover tournaments take place, just one week before the four-team conference tournament kicks off in Aberdeen, S.D.
