Niners softball picked 2nd in A-10

The Charlotte 49ers softball team was picked to finish second in the Atlantic 10 Conference in voting conducted by the league's head coaches. Charlotte finished second in the regular season last yeaar and returns five starters and three of four pitchers.

Included in the group of returners are 2009 First Team All-Atlantic 10 members; Emily Jeffery and Serena Smith. Jeffery was Charlotte's leading pitcher with 23 victories, 294 strikeouts and a 1.39 era, while Smith led the team in batting average (.363), hits (62) and RBIs (37).

Since joining the A-10, Charlotte has posted an 144-83 record including a 51-22 mark in conference games. The league coaches selected Massachusetts to win its fifth Atlantic 10 championship and 21st overall. The six-team, double-elimination A-10 tournament will be held May 12-15 at UMass' Softball Complex in Amherst, Mass.

2010 Predicted Order of Finish
2009 overall/A-10 record in parentheses)

1. Massachusetts (41-10/16-2)
2. Charlotte (33-16/14-4)
3. Fordham (37-22/13-7)
4. Saint Louis (22-33/12-6)
5. Saint Joseph's (27-20/9-7)
6. Temple (15-25/6-8)
7. St. Bonaventure (12-28/9-11)
8. George Washington (16-33/6-14)
9. Dayton (13-34/7-13)
10. La Salle (9-28/7-13)
11. Rhode Island (14-37/3-17)