University of Houston Athletics
Houston softball picked third in Conference USA preseason poll
1/21/2004 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Jan. 21, 2004
HOUSTON - Coming off a 36-win season in 2003,the University of Houston has been chosen to finish third in the upcoming season in Conference USA as voted on by the league's nine head coaches. The Cougars boast four performers on the ALL-C-USA first team: pitcher Jamie Falco, catcher Arelis Ferreris, infielder Kristen Glowacz and DP Jenilee Skender.
Glowacz returns for her junior season as the Cougars top offensive performer with a .364 batting average and hitting 14 home runs to earl 2003 all-conference first team honors. Ferreris threw out 17 would-be stealers last season while posting 60 hits to earn her a spot on the 2003 all-conference first team. Falco finished the season with a 13-10 record and kept her opponents to a .201 batting average while Skender tallied 47 hits and a .504 slugging percentage.
Nationally ranked and NCAA Tournament regular, USF (54-19, 17-6), has been selected to win the 2004 Conference USA Softball Championship. The Bulls' Leigh Ann Ellis has been named preseason Pitcher of the Year while DePaul's Sarah Martz has been chosen as the preseason Most Valuable Player.
UH opens the season at the Texas Round Robin in Austin, when they take on Sam Houston State at 1 p.m. on February 6.
2004 CONFERENCE USA SOFTBALL PRESEASON POLL
(2003 Overall, Conference Records)
1. USF (54-19, 17-6)
2. DePaul (48-7-1, 22-2)
3. Houston (36-24, 15-9)
4. Louisville (24-26, 12-11)
5. Southern Miss (28-30, 12-12)
6. UAB (28-28, 10-14)
7. East Carolina (24-31, 5-19)
8. Charlotte (14-31, 4-19)
9. Saint Louis (21-18, 9-14)
2004 CONFERENCE USA SOFTBALL PRESEASON ALL-LEAGUE TEAM
C: Arelis Ferreris, Houston
IF: Kattrina Dowd, USF
IF: Kristen Glowacz, Houston
IF: Carmela Liwag, USF
IF: Saskia Roberson, DePaul
IF: Christine Sheridan, East Carolina
IF: Aja Sherman, Louisville
OF: Heather Bell, Southern Miss
OF: Holly Groves, USF
OF: Shannon Nord, Louisville
OF: Shelly Riker, USF
P: Leigh Ann Ellis, USF
P: Jamie Falco, Houston
UT: Sarah Martz, Jr., DePaul
DP: Jenilee Skender, Houston
MOST VALUABLE PLAYER: Sarah Martz, DePaul
PITCHER OF THE YEAR: Leigh Ann Ellis, USF
