UM picked 4th in AE softball poll

The University of Maine softball team has been picked to finish fourth in America East in the preseason coaches poll released Wednesday.

Defending America East champion Albany was selected to retain its title, receiving six first-place votes and 62 points from the coaches.

Boston University was picked second with 55 points and the other two first-place votes.

Stony Brook was third with 45 points, followed by Maine (35), Maryland Baltimore County (26), Hartford (23), Binghamton (22), and Vermont (20).

Maine, under first-year coach Stacey Sullivan, has two America East first-team selections among 15 letterwinners in pitcher Sarah Bennis of Pownal and shortstop Brittany Cheney.

Bennis posted a 1.87 earned run average last spring, which was second best in the league. She was 9-10 and struck out 140 in 131 1/3 innings while walking 25. She completed all 17 of her starts.

Cheney, a native of Abington, Mass., led the Bears with a .317 batting average, three homers, and 20 runs batted in last season.

Maine went 16-26 overall last season, 10-8 in conference play.

Maine will open its season Feb. 24-26 at the University of Tennessee Invitational in Chattanooga, Tenn. The Black Bears will play two games on each of the three days.