PLEASANTVILLE, N.Y. – With just over month before the first pitch of the 2018 season, the Pace University softball team has been ranked fourth in the Northeast-10 Conference's Southwest Division in the NE10 Preseason Coaches Poll.

The Setters, who received 62 points overall in this year's preseason poll, posted the second best divisional record in the Southwest last season. Pace was 11-7 in divisional games last year, trailing only Adelphi in wins against the Southwest Division.

Just two seasons removed from winning the NE10 title, the Setters head into 2018 looking to make their fifth consecutive appearance at the league's championship weekend. The Blue and Gold will return a bulk of their rotation from a year ago as sophomore Emma Bernet (Baldwinsville, NY/Charles W Baker) and senior Jaclyn Flores (Escondido, CA/San Pasqual High School) combined for 178.0 innings in 2017. Bernet, who was selected to the NE10 All-Rookie Team, was the Setters' leader in ERA with a mark of 2.70 in 72.2 frames.

Offensively, Pace's top returners include the senior trio of Larissa Labs (Carlsbad, CA/San Marcos High School), Jordan Chillinsky (Carlsbad, CA/Carlsbad High School), and Ashley Lew (New City, NY/Clarkstown High School North). Lew led the Setters in runs scored (25) and on-base percentage (.415) while finishing tied for the league lead with six triples.

The Pace softball season begins on Sunday, March 11, when the Setters take on the Academy of Art for the first of four games in California.

NE10 SOFTBALL PRESEASON COACHES POLL
Northeast Division (Points)
1. Merrimack (103)
2. Southern New Hampshire (92)
3. Saint Anselm (73)
4. Assumption (66)
5. Stonehill (51)
6. Bentley (40)
7. Saint Michael's (35)
8. Franklin Pierce (16)

Southwest Division (Points)
1. Adelphi (88)
2. New Haven (71)
3. Le Moyne (67)
4. Pace (62)
5. American International (35)
6. Saint Rose (28)
7. Southern Connecticut (20)