LANCASTER, Pa. – The Ursinus College softball team was tabbed ninth in the Centennial Conference preseason poll.

Defending champion Gettysburg topped the projections with seven first-place votes and 63 points, while Haverford (53 points) and McDaniel (50) each grabbed one first-place vote. Washington College (42) was fourth, followed by F&M (29), Swarthmore (28), Dickinson (24), Muhlenberg (20), and Ursinus (15).

The Bears finished just 4-12 in conference play last season, but the potential for a strong bounce back campaign is there as the squad returned almost every major contributor and will be one of the most veteran-laden teams in the conference.

Senior outfielder Gabrielle Manto was a second team All-CC performer after batting .315, and classmate Samantha Garritano received all-conference laurels as a sophomore before missing much of last season due to injury. Senior Faith Carson, a second team all-conference star in 2017, batted .298 with a team-leading 22 RBI last year. Senior Sammi Donato, a career .297 hitter, rounds out an experienced outfield.

Senior Callie Crouse led the team with seven doubles and added three home runs and 13 RBI as a regular at first base, while senior Kayla Quinn (.282, 14 RBI) gives Ursinus a versatile player on the infield. Sophomore Heather Lazer registered a .328 average with five doubles, a home run, and eight RBI in just 56 at-bats as a rookie.

Sophomore Morgan Comfort established herself as one of the conference's top two-way players in a terrific freshman campaign. She batted .299 with team-leading totals of four home runs, seven doubles, and 22 runs in addition to driving in 20 runs of her own. On the mound, Comfort was 6-9 with a 3.38 ERA and four complete games.

Junior Jennifer Hammons and sophomore Gabby Ilyes have some pitching experience for the Bears, who will also count on a talented crop of five newcomers to make an impact.

Head coach Sam Campo and company open the 2019 season on March 5 at Delaware Valley before their annual spring break trip to Florida.