ROCK HILL, S.C. – Carson-Newman College, which won the 2009 Food Lion SAC Tournament title and advanced to the NCAA Divison II Southeast Super Regional championship, is the favorite to win the 2010 South Atlantic Conference softball championship in a vote of the league’s head coaches, the conference announced.

Carson-Newman received four first-place votes and 72 total points, in a tight race between three of the league’s traditional softball powerhouses. The Lady Eagles went 32-17 in 2009 and won their ninth South Atlantic Conference Tournament title and finished ranked 21st in the final NFCA poll.

Carson-Newman opens its 2010 season on Feb. 11 with a doubleheader at Bellarmine University in Louisville, Ky.

Lenoir-Rhyne University, which has won five conference championships, is picked to finish second. The Bears received one first-place vote and 69 total points, to edge Wingate University by one point. Wingate, the defending conference champion, received three first-place votes.

Newberry College is picked to finish fourth. Newberry received one first-place vote and 51 total points.

Mars Hill College is picked to finish fifth with 43 points. The Lions, who finished tied for second with Lenoir-Rhyne last season, tied Carson-Newman with five on the preseason All-Conference team.

Catawba College was picked sixth, followed by Lincoln Memorial University, Tusculum College, and Brevard College, respectively, to round out the poll.

The 2010 softball season starts Wednesday with a double header between Belmont Abbey and Newberry at 2 and 4 pm in Newberry, S.C.

The 2010 Food Lion SAC Softball Tournament will be April 22-25 in Wingate, N.C.

2010 Preseason South Atlantic Conference Softball Poll
Poll                          1st
1. Carson-Newman (4) 72
2. Lenoir-Rhyne      (1) 69
3. Wingate              (3) 68
4. Newberry            (1) 51
5. Mars Hill                    43
6. Catawba                   40
7. Lincoln Memorial        26
8. Tusculum                   21
9. Brevard                     15