Jan. 9, 2009

PROVIDENCE, R.I. -

The Providence College softball team was picked to finish eighth in the BIG EAST Preseason Coaches' Poll, which was released on January 7. DePaul, which captured the league title last season, was picked to finish first, followed by USF, Louisville, Notre Dame and Connecticut, which were selected to place second, third, fourth and fifth, respectively.

Providence finished the 2008 season with a 25-25-2 overall record, including an 8-12 mark in the BIG EAST Conference, which was good for eighth-place in the league. The Friars earned a berth in the BIG EAST Championship for the second time in three years and eighth overall.

The Friars return eight starters from last season's team and welcome six newcomers as the team will look to make the BIG EAST Championship for the second consecutive season.