INDIANAPOLIS – Defending GLVC Champion Lewis University and the University of Missouri – St. Louis have been chosen as the divisional favorites to take the 2012 Great Lakes Valley Conference Softball Championship, announced by the league office today. The GLVC's 16 head coaches voted Lewis to take the GLVC East Division title, after the Flyers posted a record of 36-14 a year ago and took their second-consecutive GLVC tournament championship. Missouri-St. Louis has been tabbed to take the West Division, after a 31-20 showing last season.  This year marks the first season in which the 16 GLVC softball squads will play a divisional schedule.

Three teams from the GLVC East Division earned first place votes, with top vote-getter Lewis grabbing 12 first-place nods, followed by UIndy (2) and Northern Kentucky (2). In the West Division, UMSL garnered 12 of the first-place tallies, with second-place Drury taking the other four.

Lewis edged out UIndy for the top spot in the East with 116 total points. UIndy amassed 101 total points with its two first-place votes, with Northern Kentucky's 98 total points coming third. Bellarmine (76), Southern Indiana (66), Wisconsin-Parkside (48), Saint Joseph's (39) and Kentucky Wesleyan (24) round out the East rankings in the poll.

The West Division was topped by Missouri-St. Louis' 115 total points. Drury's 105 came in second, with Missouri S&T following with 79 total points. The rest of the West fell as follows: Quincy (78), Rockhurst (74), Maryville (43), Illinois Springfield (42) and William Jewell (32).

The Flyers have won the last two GLVC Softball Championships, and have taken a league-record 10 GLVC titles in program history. The 2011 edition of Lewis softball advanced to the NCAA Regional Championship. Lewis is led by junior Jayme Hefler in the outfield. Hefler, a two-time All-GLVC First Team selection and the 2010 Freshman of the Year, paced the conference with 41 stolen bases a season ago, and was top five in the circuit in hits. Her .369 batting average led the Flyers, as did her 160 at bats and 41 runs scored.  Hefler also topped Lewis with her 59 hits on the year as well as her .471 on-base percentage.

Missouri-St. Louis was last year's regular-season champion with its 20-5 record in GLVC play. The Tritons are led by defending GLVC Coach of the Year Brian Levin and a pair of seniors in Shannon Beatty and Heather Arras. Beatty was an All-GLVC Second Team selection a year ago at third base, while Arras was third on the Triton squad in batting average (.313), hits (51), RBIs (25) and home runs (6).

The 2012 GLVC softball season will feature 16 teams for the first time as William Jewell enters its first year in the league, although the Cardinals will not be eligible for the conference tournament. In addition, this is the first year the softball teams will play a divisional schedule, with all 16 teams playing each other in a doubleheader and each divisional opponent in a pair of doubleheaders.

The top three teams from the East Division, the top two teams from the West Division and three wild card teams will earn a berth to the 2012 GLVC Softball Tournament April 27-29 at EastSide Centre in East Peoria, Ill.

The complete 2012 GLVC Softball Coaches Preseason Poll follows. Coaches are prohibited from voting for their own team in the poll.

EAST
Team Total Points  (First-place votes)
1. Lewis  116 (12)
2. Indianapolis 101 (2)
3. Northern Kentucky 98 (2)
4. Bellarmine 76
5. Southern Indiana 66
6. UW-Parkside 48
7. Saint Joseph's 39
8. Kentucky Wesleyan 24

WEST
Team Total Points  (First-place votes)
1. Missouri-St. Louis 115 (12)
2. Drury 105 (4)
3. Missouri S&T 79
4. Quincy 78
5. Rockhurst 74
6. Maryville 43
7. Illinois Springfield 42
8. William Jewell* 32

*Not eligible for GLVC Softball Championship Tournament
For more information on the GLVC and each conference member, please visit www.glvcsports.com.
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