SOFTBALL SELECTED TO FINISH FIRST IN THE PACIFIC COAST SOFTBALL CONFERENCE 1/15/2009 SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- Defending Pacific Coast Softball Conference (PCSC) champions Sacramento State has been selected to repeat as league champions, it was announced in a preseason poll of the league coaches today. The first-place selection marks the seventh consecutive season in which the Hornets have been picked to finish no worse than second in the conference’s preseason poll. Sacramento State finished the 2008 season with a 32-21 overall record, a 14-6 mark in the PCSC, and advanced to the NCAA Regionals. The Hornets return 10 players from that team, including five positional starters and three pitchers. Sacramento State received two first-place votes and a total of 31 points in the poll, narrowly edging Loyola Marymount (29 points, two first-place votes). Rounding out the next four teams in the poll were Saint Mary’s (21), Portland State (20), San Diego (14) and Santa Clara (11). Beginning its seventh year of existence, the PCSC will receive an automatic qualifier for NCAA postseason play for the fifth straight season. The team with the best conference record at the end of PCSC play will automatically advance to the 64-team NCAA postseason tournament. Sacramento State had finished the season second in the conference standings three straight years (2005-07) until getting over the hump last season and winning its first PCSC title. The Hornets have never finished with anything lower than a .500 winning percentage in PCSC play. Highlighting the returnees for Sacramento State are a pair of NFCA all-West Region selections in senior outfielder Izmena Cabrera (first team) and senior catcher Jamie Schloredt (second team). Cabrera became just the third Hornet to receive first team all-region honors last season after batting .375 with a school-record 53 RBIs. Schloredt was unanimously selected as the league’s player of the year after leading the conference in batting average (.408), slugging percentage (.737), on-base percentage (.513) and home runs (12). Both Cabrera and Schloredt were first team all-conference selections. The Hornets also return all-conference selections Whitney Loomis (second team) and Brittani Clifford (second team). Sacramento State, which has won at least 30 games five times in the last six years, begins the 2009 season on Wednesday, Feb. 11, when the team plays a doubleheader at Pacific. The Hornets will play their first 14 games away from Sacramento until the home opener on March 4 against UC Davis. PCSC Coaches Poll (First-Place Votes in Parenthesis) 1. Sacramento State - 31 (2) 2. Loyola Marymount - 29 (2) 3. Saint Mary’s - 21 4. Portland State (1) - 20 5. San Diego - 14 6. Santa Clara - 11 (1)