LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The Valdosta State softball team was picked 24th in the 2020 Preseason National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Top 25, announced Wednesday by the organization.

Augustana (S.D.) was tabbed the national favorite in the poll as it won the national championship in 2019 over Texas A&M-Kingsville. TAMUK was picked second in the preseason poll, while Grand Valley State was selected third, followed by Gulf South Conference member West Florida and Young Harris rounded out the top five.

Alabama Huntsville is tied for 18th in the initial poll and Mississippi College is among other teams receiving votes for GSC teams. VSU battles No. 9 Florida Tech the first weekend of the season in Gulf Shores, Ala., marking the only other ranked team in the preseason poll the Blazers face this season. VSU and Mississippi College don’t play during the regular season

The Lone Star Conference led the way with four programs in the top 25, with No. 2 Texas A&M-Kingsville, No. 10 Texas A&M-Commerce, No. 15 Cameron and No. 21 Tarleton State, while the GSC was second with the three selections with UWF, UAH and VSU.

VSU is coming off a 36-18 record overall and 14-12 in Gulf South Conference play in 2019. The Blazers qualified for their 14th-straight NCAA regional and 18th overall appearance, as VSU went 1-2 in the regional. The 14-straight appearances in the NCAA postseason marks the second-longest streak in the country behind UAH’s 17-straight trips. VSU now is 56-38 all-time in the NCAA postseason and the 56 victories is seventh-most in NCAA Division II history.

The Blazers are under the direction of head coach Thomas Macera , who begins his 15th season at the helm of the Blazers. He is 643-186-2 (.775) at VSU and is the winningest coach in program history.

Among the returners for the Blazers this season is junior Fallyn Johnson , who earned first team NFCA All-Region last season as a utility player, senior Haley Garrett , who was named D2CCA Honorable Mention All-America last season, senior Lacey Crandall , who earned second team all-conference honors and sophomore Kiley Robb , who also earned second team all-league accolades last season.

Johnson played in 40 games with 31 starts and hit .363 in 91 at bats. She had 33 hits, 17 runs scored and RBI, while reaching base at a .404 clip. Garrett hit .344 in 54 starts and scored 42 runs to tie for the team-lead. She had a team-high 55 hits, while recording nine doubles, 12 home runs and 27 RBI. She slugged .588 to lead the team and reached base at a .417 clip. Senior Logan Hill also returns as she started 49 games last season with 39 hits and she knocked ten doubles which tied for the team-lead. Hill had seven home runs and 29 RBI, while walking 28 times for the most on the team and fanned just 15 times. She had just one error in 239 chances with 275 putouts and 17 assists to lead the team with a .997 fielding percentage.

Crandall hit .288 with 40 hits, 20 runs scored, seven doubles and three home runs, while driving in 25 last season. Robb led the team with 12 home runs and hit .291 in 54 starts. She had 46 hits, 42 runs scored, eight doubles and drove in a team-high 40. She slugged .570 to lead the team and reached base at a .384. clip. Also returning this season is senior Jordenne Gaten , who went 25 of 25 in stolen bases for the season and senior Natalia Bellinger who hit .298 with six doubles and four home runs in 52 games.

Macera welcomes eight new players for the 2020 season as the Blazers get underway Jan. 31 at the Gulf Shores Invitational in Gulf Shores, Ala. VSU is scheduled to play Miles College and Spring Hill on Jan. 31, while facing Palm Beach Atlantic and Lubbock Christian on Feb. 1 and the matchup with Florida Tech on Feb. 2 concludes the tournament.

The Blazers open the 2020 home slate Feb. 15-16 with the Gulf South Conference opener versus Shorter at Steel’s Diamond at Blazer Park. The series with Shorter was rained out last season in Rome, Ga. VSU has 27 home games on the schedule for 2020 as it makes a run at its league-best tenth Gulf South Conference title.