South Dakota is picked to finish third in the Summit League Preseason Softball Coaches poll released Wednesday by the league office.

The Coyotes received 27 points, trailing four-time defending champion North Dakota State (35 points) and IUPUI (29 points).

South Dakota is coming off its best finish since joining the Summit League in 2011. The Coyotes placed second in the regular season standings a year ago with a 13-4 record and advanced to the championship game of the Summit League Tournament.

The Coyotes have made it to the Summit League Tournament all three years since gaining eligibility in 2013. The Coyotes were 28-25-1 overall and have won at least 28 games in each of the last three seasons.

The Coyotes return five hitters and two all-conference pitchers to their lineup this season. Senior first baseman Yvon Minogue, an all-region performer, led the Summit League with a .470 average. She also had nine home runs, 39 RBIs and scored 55 runs. Senior left fielder Katie Cochran earned all-Summit honors last season after batting .325 with 31 RBIs and 34 runs scored. All-Summit pitchers Rachel Cue and Madison Frain rank seventh and eighth, respectively, on the Coyotes’ career wins list.   Head Coach Amy Klyse enters the 2016 season with 196 wins during her USD career that began in 2007. Klyse also has the best win percentage in program history.    There are seven teams on South Dakota’s schedule who are ranked in the top 25 or are receiving votes. The Coyotes will travel to Florida during Spring Break to play the two-time defending champion Florida Gators. The Coyotes’ season kicks off Friday at a tournament in Las Vegas.

 

2016 Summit League Preseason Softball Coaches’ Poll
Rank	School	Points (1st)	2015 Record (SL)
1.	North Dakota State	35 (5)	45-11 (16-2)
2.	IUPUI	29 (2)	33-18 (9-8)
3.	South Dakota	27	28-25-1 (13-4)
4.	Omaha	20	22-28 (6-10)
5.	South Dakota State	16	23-29 (7-11)
6.	Western Illinois	14	18-23 (8-10)
7.	IPFW	6	3-45 (2-16)