Coming off of a Horizon League Tournament title and NCAA Tournament appearance last season, the Valparaiso University softball team has been picked to finish third in the Horizon League in 2017, according to preseason polling of the league’s head coaches.

The Crusaders picked up one first-place vote and totaled 47 points in the polling. UIC claimed seven of the nine first-place votes and finished with 62 points, while Wright State received the other first-place nod and 55 total points. Valpo was picked just ahead of Youngstown State for the third spot.

Valpo returns five of its top seven hitters from a season ago entering the 2017 campaign, including Second Team All-League infielder Carly Trepanier (Manteno, Ill./Manteno), league tournament MVP Sam Stewart (Frankfort, Ill./Lincoln-Way East) and league tournament batting champion Lanie Callaghan (Elburn, Ill./Kaneland). Junior Ashlyn Montgomery (Lebanon, Ind./Lebanon), who posted a 2.15 ERA in Horizon League action last year, returns on the pitching staff as well.

The Crusaders open the 2017 season at North Carolina A&T’s Aggie Invitational Feb. 17-19 in Greensboro, N.C.