SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Western Carolina softball senior pitcher Kinsey Liscio was named to the Southern Conference Preseason All-Conference Second Team by the league coaches as announced today by the conference office. The Catamounts were tied with Furman to finish sixth in the preseason poll.

Coaches were not allowed to vote for their teams or players in the balloting.

The preseason honor is the first for the Calhoun, Ga. native. Liscio ended the 2019 season with a career-best 10 wins appearing in 36 games and starting 25 clocking in nine complete games. She tossed 139.2 innings giving up 172 hits, 101 runs, 84 earned, walked 63 and struck out 78 ending with a 4.21 ERA.
Liscio's 181 career strikeouts rank seventh in the Western Carolina record book. She also ranks tied for fifth with 58 career starts.

In the team poll, the Catamounts received 22 votes and is tied for sixth with Furman in the seven-team preseason prognostication. In the eight seasons under the direction of head coach Jim Clift, Western Carolina has exceeded its preseason prediction in five of his eight seasons. The Catamounts blew the preseason prediction out of the water in the 2016 season-ending the year third after being tabbed at No. 6. The No. 3 seed back in 2016 was the second-best finish in the program's 13-year history.

Chattanooga collected five first-place votes and 35 points to take the top spot in the poll. UNCG and ETSU each garnered a first-place vote, with 28 and 22 points respectively, for second and third place. Mercer tied with ETSU with 22 points to tie for third. Samford took fifth place with 20 points with Western Carolina and Furman tied for sixth with 10 points.
The Mocs' Aly Walker was picked as preseason SoCon Player of the Year while teammate Celie Hudson was predicted to be the SoCon Pitcher of the year. Chattanooga and UNCG placed a total of five players on the preseason all-conference list accounting for 10 of the 22 spots.

Western Carolina opens the 2020 season on the road traveling to Clemson on Feb. 12 for a doubleheader beginning at 2:30 p.m. The Catamounts will help the Tigers christen the Clemson Softball Stadium in Clemson's' first-ever home opponent in the program's first year of existence.  
 

Preseason Poll
Team (First-Place Votes) Points
1. Chattanooga (5)               35
2. UNCG (1)                         28
3. ETSU (1)                          22
    Mercer                              22
5. Samford                           20
6. Furman                            10
   Western Carolina             10
 
Preseason Player of the Year
Aly Walker, Chattanooga, Sr., OF
 
Preseason Pitcher of the Year
Celie Hudson, Chattanooga, Sr.
 
Preseason First-Team All-SoCon
P       Celie Hudson, Chattanooga, Sr.
P       Allison Swinford, Chattanooga, Jr.
C       Delaney Cumbie, UNCG, So.
IF      Nikki Grupp, ETSU, Sr.
IF      Danielle Castleberry, Mercer, R-Jr.
IF      Jasmine Palmer, UNCG, R-Sr.
IF      Emily Coltharp, Chattanooga, So.
OF     Kelly Warren, ETSU, Jr.
OF     Micayla Rood, Mercer, Jr.
OF     Aly Walker, Chattanooga, Sr.
DP    Kayleigh Willis, UNCG, Sr.
 
Preseason Second-Team All-SoCon
P       Bailey Pattison, Mercer, So.
P       Kinsey Liscio, Western Carolina, Sr.
C       Kelsey Brown, ETSU, R-So.
C       Tori Ash, Mercer, So.
C       Kathryn Jackson, Samford, Sr.
IF      Julia Fritz, ETSU, Jr.
IF      Merritt Cahoon, Samford, So.
IF      Whitney Hinton, Samford, Sr.
IF      Emma Sturdivant, Chattanooga, R-Sr.
OF     Allie Jones, Mercer, Jr.
OF     Jordan Gontram, UNCG, R-Jr.
OF     Makenna Matthijs, UNCG, Jr.
OF     Hayleigh Weissenbach, Chattanooga, Sr.
DP    Abby Walsh, Mercer, Sr.