By Alex Boggis, UT Martin Assistant Sports Information Director
BRENTWOOD, Tenn. – The University of Tennessee at Martin softball team has been picked to finish fourth in the annual Ohio Valley Conference preseason poll as voted on by the league’s head coaches and sports information directors while Skyhawk slugger Kaitlyn Kelley was tabbed as one of the conference’s 10 Players to Watch heading into the 2022 season.
UT Martin garnered 107 votes in the annual preseason poll – including one first place vote – to rank tied for fourth place.
Reigning OVC regular season champion Southeast Missouri was picked to repeat with 16 first place votes and 157 points overall while Austin Peay claimed two first place votes and 140 points to sit in second. Murray State ranked third with 121 points while UT Martin and Eastern Illinois tied for fourth with 107 points. The bottom half was rounded out by SIUE (82), Tennessee Tech (69), Belmont (63), Tennessee State (33) and Morehead State (21).
Kelley returns for her third year in a Skyhawk uniform after a record-breaking season in 2021. The All-OVC first team and All-Newcomer selection a year ago posted a .338 batting average with 10 doubles, 17 home runs and 51 RBIs while boasting a .742 slugging percentage. Her home run and slugging totals set new program single season records while leading the league in RBIs (48) and total bases (112). She posted 13 multi-hit outings and 13 multi-RBI performances. Her best games included a two-home run outing against Jackson State and a four-hit, four-RBI afternoon against Belmont.
UT Martin opens the season next week at the Lady Demon Classic in Natchitoches, La. on Friday, Feb. 11.
2022 OVC SOFTBALL PREDICTED ORDER OF FINISH
(as voted on by the league’s head softball coaches and sports information directors)
1. Southeast Missouri (16 first-place votes) – 157
2. Austin Peay (Two first-place votes) – 140
3. Murray State (One first-place vote) – 121
4. UT Martin (One first-place vote) – 107
Eastern Illinois – 107
6. SIUE – 82
7. Tennessee Tech – 69
8. Belmont – 63
9. Tennessee State – 33
10. Morehead State – 21
(Schools were not allowed to rank their own team. 9 points awarded for a first-place vote, 8 for second, etc.)
OVC PLAYERS TO WATCH
Lexi Osowski, IF, Sr. – Austin Peay
Cheyenne Cavanaugh, OF, Sr. – Belmont
Megan Burton, IF, R-Sr. – Eastern Illinois
Lennon Spicer, P, So. – Morehead State
Sierra Gilmore, IF, R-Sr. -Murray State
Rachel Rook, P, R-Sr. – Southeast Missouri
Sydney Baalman, P, So. – SIUE
Anayah Baker-Rowell, INF/UTIL -Tennessee State
Haeli Bryson, P/IF- Tennessee Tech
Kaitlyn Kelley, IF, Jr., – UT Martin
Graphic courtesy of UT Martin Sports Information