Segments of this release supplied by the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference
SUWANEE, Ga. – Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference softball coaches have Trinity pegged to finish second behind favorite Texas Lutheran entering the 2023 season based on balloting in the annual preseason poll.
Following its most wins (21) since the 2016 season, Trinity University (21-24, 13-8) was selected to finish second in this year's preseason poll with 53 points. The Tigers completed back-to-back winning records in SCAC play for the first time since the 2015 and 2016 seasons and the 13 conference wins a season ago are the most since 2016. Sophomore utility Jessica Lloyd returns following a First Team All-SCAC season as a rookie after leading the Tigers with 45 hits and a .352 batting average. In addition, Lloyd drove in 13 Tigers and scored 10 runs. Joining Lloyd as returning All-SCAC performers are a pair of Second Team honorees in junior first baseman Jordyn Williams and sophomore shortstop Alexa Saucedo. That duo combined for 45 hits, 25 runs scored, 21 extra base hits and 20 RBI.
Leading Trinity in 2023 will be Abby Martin, who enters her fourth year as head coach after guiding the Tigers to their first appearance in the SCAC Tournament championship game since 2016. In her previous three seasons, Martin has compiled an overall record of 44-51, including a 25-20 mark in SCAC play.
Since the SCAC began sponsoring softball as a championship sport in 1999, seven different teams have claimed conference championships. Texas Lutheran (2014-19, 2021-21) leads the way with eight followed by Trinity (1999, 2000-02, 2005-07) with seven. DePauw University captured three (2008-09, 2011), Southwestern two (2010, 2013) and Millsaps College (2003), University of the South-Sewanee (2004) and Birmingham-Southern College have each secured one title.
The 2023 SCAC softball season begins on February 8th, while the first conference series of the season are scheduled for Saturday, March 11th. The 2023 SCAC Softball Tournament will be held at the beginning of May on the campus of Trinity University as the double-elimination tournament will begin on Friday May 5th.
Trinity opens its regular season schedule with a doubleheader at McMurry University in Abilene, Texas, on Friday, February 10, at 4:00 p.m.. The Tigers will play their first 10 games on the road, including a pair of doubleheaders against No. 15 East Texas Baptist University and No. 18 University of Mary Hardin-Baylor. Trinity will make its home debut against No. 25 Babson on Sunday, February 26.
