WEST POINT, Ga. — Point University softball is picked to finish eighth in the 2018 Appalachian Athletics Conference standings, according to the AAC Pre-Season Coaches’ Poll released Monday, Dec. 4.  The Skyhawks, coached by Jennifer Tyler (Seventh season) totaled 76 points in the poll.

Point tied for fourth place in the 2017 AAC softball regular-season standings with Tennessee Wesleyan University, each with 12-8 conference records.  Point recorded a school-record 31 wins with 22 losses last season, and returns nine players from last season’s roster, including its All-AAC first team catcher Brooke Williams (SR/Valley, AL); All-AAC second team first baseman Shea Pendley (JR/Chatsworth, GA); an All-AAC Defensive Team selection; and All-AAC second team pitchers Ryan Simpson (JR/Valley, AL) and Allie Beilstein (SO/Montgomery, AL).

The coaches selected conference newcomer Brenau University (Ga.) as the team to beat in 2018, just ahead of Reinhardt University, the defending AAC Tournament champion.  Brenau went 52-7 overall and 26-0 in the Southern States Athletics Conference last season and received seven of the 12 first-place votes from the AAC coaches and amassed 126 total points.  Reinhardt was second with five first-place votes and 122 points in this season’s poll and went 41-14-1 last season and tied with Bryan College (Tenn.) for the conference regular season title, each with 15-5 records.

Tennessee Wesleyan (23-16; 12-8 AAC) tied for fourth place with Point last season and finished third in the poll with 98 points.  Union College (29-28; 13-7) earned 96 points for fourth place, and Bryan College (23-24; 15-5) finished with 95 points and placed fifth in the poll.  Milligan College (21-23; 10-10), made it to the AAC Tournament championship game last season, and garnered 86 points for sixth place, and Truett-McConnell (27-19; 11-9) placed seventh in the poll with 81 points.

The AAC Softball Tournament is scheduled for April 25-28, 2018, at The Brickyard Ball Fields in Kingsport, Tenn.