Jan. 22, 2008

Greensboro, N.C. - The Virginia Tech Hokies, winners of the 2007 Atlantic Coast Conference Softball Championship, have been named this year's team to beat in the 2008 ACC Preseason Softball Poll. The Hokies earned 62 of a possible 64 points in the poll, which includes the votes of the league's eight head softball coaches.

Led by head coach Scot Thomas, the 2007 ACC Coach of the Year, Tech enters the 2008 season with 12 returning letterwinners from last year's championship squad. Among those returning are two All-ACC selections from a year ago, including first-team honoree and league Pitcher of the Year Angela Tincher. In all, the Hokies will bring back their top two pitchers and six of their top seven hitters.

Voted second in this year's preseason poll, with a total of 48 points, was North Carolina. The Tar Heels finished last season with an overall record of 46-21 and an 11-9 mark in conference play, and will have the services of 14 returning letterwinners in 2008.

Florida State, which has won at least a share of 10 league titles since joining the ACC in 1992, and Georgia Tech, which led the ACC with 54 wins a year ago, finished tied for third with 45 total points each.

Rounding out the poll was Maryland (31), NC State (25), Virginia (18), and Boston College (14).

The 2008 ACC softball season will open on Friday, Feb. 8, when five of the league's eight teams take the field for the first time, and will conclude with the ACC Softball Championship in College Park, Md., on May 8-11.

2008 ACC Preseason Softball Poll
	School	Points
1.	Virginia Tech (6)	62
2.	North Carolina	48
T3.	Florida State (1)	45
T3.	Georgia Tech	45
5.	Maryland	31
6.	NC State	25
7.	Virginia (1)	18
8.	Boston College	14