ROCK HILL, S.C. --- The Tusculum University softball team has been selected to finish 10th, as revealed in the 2021 edition of the South Atlantic Conference Coaches' Poll. Additionally, Anna Alloway and Alexis Grampp earned second-team laurels, their first career preseason league honors. Brittney Franse made the second tier for the second consecutive season.

Alloway, a Louisville, Tenn. native, started all 22 games in the outfield during her junior season. She was the first TU position player to earn SAC Player of the Week since 2013 due to a stellar opening weekend. As the team MVP, Alloway led the roster with a .417 batting average, .494 on-base percentage, .764 slugging percentage, 55 total bases, 30 hits, 25 runs scored, and seven home runs (tied 9th in TU season records). All figures were within the top-11 of the South Atlantic Conference and a pair were listed across NCAA Division II highs. The 5-2 right-hander was among top-four on the squad with 84 plate appearances, 72 at bats, 19 runs batted in, 11 extra-base hits, eight walks, four doubles, and was hit by three pitches, all while striking out just twice. Alloway recorded at least one hit in 17-of-22 games and scored a minimum of one run in 14. She collected 21 putouts on a .913 fielding percentage. In the program record book, Alloway is ranked among the top-10 in four categories: slugging percentage (3rd; .605), OBP (5th; .407), home runs (tied 6th; 18), and batting average (7th; .350). The elementary education/English (6-12) major racked up three academic honors: CoSIDA All-District first team, CoSIDA All-America third team, and Division II Athletic Directors Association (D2 ADA) Academic Achievement Award.

Grampp, a Harrison, Tenn. product, started every game at first base for the Pioneers. The graduate student finished last year batting .359 (third on the team) with an OBP of .400 and a .667 slugging percentage (second on the team). Grampp led TU with 86 plate appearances, 78 at bats (tied 6th in the SAC), 14 extra-base hits (tied 3rd in the SAC), and eight doubles (tied 4th in the SAC). She was second with 52 total bases (ninth in the SAC), 28 hits (tied 9th in the SAC), 21 RBI, 18 runs scored, and a pair of triples (tied 4th in the SAC). The 5-11 right-hander also added five walks and four homers (tied 3rd on the team). Grampp was fourth in the conference with a team-high 138 putouts, alongside seven assists, for a .993 fielding percentage (tied 3rd for a TU season). In game one against Cedarville, Grampp collected nine total bases (tied 5th in program history), going 4-for-4 with two doubles, two runs scored, and one homer. She had eight multi-hit games, seven with multiple RBI, and four scoring more than one run.

Franse, a native of Knoxville, Tenn., started and played in 21 games for Tusculum at second base. In her third year, she averaged .212 at the plate, slugged .308, and earned an OBP of .281. The 5-2 right-hander finished the season with 11 hits, nine runs scored, eight RBI, four walks, three doubles, three sacrifice bunts (t-12th in SAC), two steals, hit by one pitch, and one triple in 60 plate appearances. Franse had a fielding percentage of .962 with 40 putouts and 35 assists (tied 12th in the SAC). To open the season, she scored a run in five consecutive games and recorded three RBI in the first game of the year. For her career, Franse enters the season in a tie for eighth in sacrifice flies (4) and tied 10th in fielding percentage (.978). The mathematics education major earned the D2 ADA Academic Achievement Award.

The Pioneers received 58 total points in a vote of the conference's 13 head coaches. Nationally-ranked Lenoir-Rhyne is the favorite to win the title as the Bears garnered seven first place votes and 146 points. Also ranked is Lincoln Memorial with three first place nods and 140 points. Carson-Newman (134) and Anderson (126) round out the top votes with one and two, respectively. Wingate is fifth in the poll with 105 points, followed by Newberry (102), Coker (77), Queens University of Charlotte (72), and conference newcomer Limestone (66). Tusculum is trailed by Catawba (55), UVA Wise (42), and Mars Hill (34).

Tusculum returns 13 student-athletes from last year's squad that finished 15-7 (1-3 SAC) before the remainder of the season was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Pioneers' 5-0 start was tied for second-best in recorded program history and they began their home schedule 7-0, tying the fifth-best opening mark (also a Huebner-led team) for games played in Greeneville. Along the way, Tusculum earned its best record in program history at 13-2 to start the season.

The Pioneers will open the season at Southern Wesleyan on February 3 in an afternoon doubleheader. Tusculum's first home series is set for three days later versus West Virginia State.

Tusculum was in line to host the SAC Tournament in 2020 before the remainder of the schedule was canceled. The league office granted the Pioneers hosting rights again, so for the first time since 2012, Edmonds Field will serve the conference's postseason championship destination. The eight-team, single-elimination tournament will be held Apr. 23-24 in Greeneville.

2021 Softball Preseason Coaches' Poll

2021 Softball Preseason All-Conference
All-SAC First Team
OF – Savannah Moorefield, Lenoir-Rhyne
OF – McKenzie Barneycastle, Newberry
OF – Chloe Pelham, Coker
1B – Haley Simonds, Newberry
2B – Ty-Kella Goins, Lincoln Memorial
SS – Talon LaClair, Lenoir-Rhyne
3B – Hannah Towery, Newberry
3B - Kaylee Jones, UVA Wise
DP – Kayson Boatner, Anderson 
UTL – Aubrey Reep, Wingate
C – Kylee Leonhardt, Lenoir-Rhyne
P – Morgan Beeler, Lenoir-Rhyne
P – Isabelle Mullen, Coker

All-SAC Second Team
OF – Haley Caldwell, Carson-Newman
OF – Anna Alloway, Tusculum
OF – Sam Hogan, Wingate
1B – Alexis Grampp, Tusculum
2B – Brittney Franse, Tusculum
SS – Sierra Hucklebee, Lincoln Memorial
3B –  Emma Webb, Lincoln Memorial
DP – McKenzie McCullen, Queens
UTL – Lacie Rinus, Carson-Newman
C – KaraLynne Levi, Carson-Newman
P – Lauren Rakes, Lenoir-Rhyne
P – McKenna Falwell, UVA Wise