BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Returning 10 starters – including both of its starting pitchers – from a squad that made it to the national championship game a season ago, the University of Alabama in Huntsville softball team has been selected as the favorite to win the Gulf South Conference in 2012, the league office announced Tuesday.
 
Additionally, four Chargers were selected to the 2012 Preseason All-GSC Team.
 
In voting conducted by the GSC's head coaches, the Chargers were nearly a unanimous selection to take the top spot in the conference as Les Stuedeman's squad received six of the seven available first-place votes for UAH en route to totaling 48 points in the poll.
 
Coaches are not allowed to vote for their own team.
 
Valdosta State picked up a pair of first-place votes and five second-place votes to total 44 points, while West Alabama came in third with 34 points. West Florida (31 points) and North Alabama (22 points) rounded out the top five, and they were followed by Delta State (20 points), West Georgia (13 points, and Christian Brothers (12 points).
 
The Preseason All-GSC Team is headlined by UAH outfielder Kelli Long who has landed on the GSC First Team in each of the previous three seasons. Sophomores Whitney Toler and Mary Kelley along with senior Stephanie Needham joined Long in earning preseason recognition.
 
Toler and Needham were also All-GSC selections following terrific 2011 campaigns.
 
Long put together a strong junior season as she led the team in hits, runs, triples, total bases, walks and stolen bases; while Needham was also impressive a year ago, pacing the Chargers in batting average, slugging percentage, on-base percentage, home runs and walks. Kelley finished on top of the UAH RBI ledger while also collecting the most doubles.
 
Toler made 29 starts for UAH last year, compiling a 21-3 record to go along with a1.80 ERA while racking up 118 strikeouts.
 
On the list of top newcomers to the conference, UAH was represented by a pair of transfers in Mallory McNeal and Courtney McNett.
 
McNeal comes to Huntsville after spending a season at Mississippi, and McNett put together a solid career at Wallace-Hanceville before donning the Blue and White.
 
The Chargers will open the 2012 slate with a pair of games on Sunday, Feb. 12 as they will travel to Irondale, Ala., to take on Stillman and Miles.