FOREST, Va. – The Emory & Henry College Softball Team has been chosen to take runner-up honors in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference this year, ODAC officials announced Wednesday. The poll is voted on by the league's 11 head coaches.

RELATED – ODAC Coaches' Poll

E&H, which reached the NCAA Division III Tournament for the second time in three seasons last year, has established itself as a perennial contender in the ODAC and the Atlantic Region. The Wasps boast a roster of 20, returning 14 letterwinners and five all-league players.

Headlining the group is 2019 ODAC Rookie of the Year and all-conference second-teamer sophomore outfielder Anna Thomas (Climax, N.C.) and first-team pick junior first baseman Kendall Varner (Bassett, Va.). The pair was also named to the NFCA All-Atlantic Region Third Team.

Also back for the Wasps are junior pitcher Cameron Derr (Cornelius, N.C.) and senior shortstop Leanna Toler (Abingdon, Va.) who were named to the All-ODAC Second Team while junior pitcher Alex Braun (Cornelius, N.C.) nabbed third-team accolades a year ago.

The top of the poll is littered with NCAA postseason appearances as Virginia Wesleyan University is once again the league favorite. The Marlins captured the 2017 and 2018 Division III titles.

Just one point off of second-place E&H is University of Lynchburg which hosted a Super Regional last year. Randolph-Macon College, which tied for seventh in the country last year, is fourth in the poll.

The Wasps will have one of the toughest schedules in the country this season with 12 contests scheduled against programs ranked in the Top 25 of the NFCA Preseason Poll.

RELATED - NFCA Division III Top 25

Emory & Henry will open the season with a doubleheader exhibition on Saturday when it hosts Bluefield College at 1:00 p.m. The Wasps' first official test will be against preseason No. 15 Birmingham-Southern College on Friday, February 14 as part of the B-SC Spring Classic.

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2020 ODAC SOFTBALL
PRESEASON POLL