BRENTWOOD, Tenn. – Austin Peay State University softball has been picked to finish sixth in the 2021 Ohio Valley Conference preseason poll by the conference's coaches and sports information directors, the conference announced Thursday morning, while junior third baseman Lexi Osowski was named an OVC Player to Watch.
The Governors, under the direction of third-year head coach Kassie Stanfill picked up 143 total points in their sixth-place selection.
"We are eager to compete for an OVC Championship," Stanfill said. "We believe with our returning athletes and seven newcomers we have a chance to compete in our conference.
"We are excited to get back on the field and continue to work toward our goals of winning the OVC."
Osowski, a San Diego, California, native, was hitting .434, with 10 doubles, five home runs and 25 RBIs to go with a conference-leading 33 hits -- before the season was halted due to the COVID-19 pandemic – was one of 12 players selected as one of the conference's Players to Watch this season.
Last year's preseason favorite, Southeast Missouri, is again the pick to win the league in 2021, after picking up 13 of this year's 24 overall first-place votes and finishing with 236 points, just four points ahead of number-two pick Eastern Kentucky – who picked up nine first-place votes and 224 total points.
Jacksonville State picked up the other two first-place votes and 211 overall points in being selected third in the poll.
Murray State came in fourth in the poll, with 167 points, as the final favorite to make the OVC Championship Tournament's modified field in May 2021, just ahead of SIUE (151 points), and the Govs in sixth place.
UT Martin (109), Tennessee Tech (97), Eastern Illinois (92), Belmont (88), Tennessee State (34) and Morehead State (32) round out the poll.
Eight different OVC teams have won a regular-season championship, with Jacksonville State leading the way with seven titles. The regular-season champion has gone on to win the league tournament title 16 times since the inception of the championship in 1994.
Last year, the conference regular-season schedule and tournament championship were cancelled by the COVID-19 pandemic.
2021 OVC Softball Predicted Order of Finish
1. Southeast Missouri (13) – 228
2. Eastern Kentucky (9) – 224
3. Jacksonville State (2) – 211
4. Murray State – 167
5. SIUE – 151
6. Austin Peay – 143
7. UT Martin – 109
8. Tennessee Tech – 97
9. Eastern Illinois – 92
10. Belmont – 88
11. Tennessee State – 34
12. Morehead State – 32
2021 OVC Softball Players to Watch
Lexi Osowski, IF, Jr. - Austin Peay
Alice Veltri, P, Sr. - Belmont
Haley Mitchell, UTIL/DP, R-Sr. - Eastern Illinois
Ariyana Miranda, IF, R-Fr. - Eastern Kentucky
Karsen Mosley, 3B, So. - Jacksonville State
Payton Slater, C/INF, Jr. - Morehead State
Sierra Gilmore, INF, Sr. - Murray State
Rachel Anderson, OF, Sr. - Southeast Missouri
Zoe Schafer, IF, R-Sr. - SIUE
Lauren Powell, P, R-Sr. -Tennessee State
Beth McCulley, OF, R-Sr - Tennessee Tech
Paige Clark, OF, Jr. - UT Martin
