WASHINGTON - For the second year in a row, the Georgetown softball team has been picked to finish third in the BIG EAST in the 2015 Preseason Coaches' Poll. The Hoyas received a total of 36 points, including one first place vote. 2014 conference champion DePaul was picked to repeat as league champions with a total of 48 points and six first place votes. League runner-up St. John's came in second with 42 points and one first place vote.

Butler and Creighton, entering their second season in the BIG EAST, were picked to finish fourth and fifth with 26 and 23 points, respectively. Villanova, Seton Hall and Providence rounded out the poll with 20, 17 and 12 points, respectively.

The 2015 softball squad returns 10 student-athletes from last year's team that finished the season with a program best 26 wins and four All-BIG EAST selections. Of the ten returners, five started at least 40 games for the Blue and Gray.

Georgetown is returning its top two pitchers in seniors Megan Hyson (Pasadena, Md./Chesapeake) and Lauren O'Leary (La Canada, Calif./La Canada). Hyson led the way for the Hoyas with a 15-11 record while posting an ERA of 2.36 and led Georgetown with a .373 average and 32 RBI. Hyson was also a named to the National Fastpitch Coaches Association Division I All-Region Team. O'Leary finished with a record of 11-11 and an ERA of 3.65.

The team also added three decorated freshmen to the team in Avery Geehr (Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla./Ponte Vedra), Theresa Kane (Mystic, Conn./Stonington) and Payton Lawton (Yorba Linda, Calif./Rosary).

The Hoyas open the 2015 season on Feb. 6 when they travel to Nashville, Tenn., to participate in the Belmont Invitational. The two day tournament includes matchups against Indiana State, South Dakota, University of Missouri-Kansas City and Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis. Following the Belmont Invitational, Georgetown will participate in five more tournaments before its home opener against Princeton on March 17 at Guy Mason Field.

The Blue and Gray will open conference play on March 21 when the team hosts Villanova for a Saturday afternoon doubleheader.

2015 BIG EAST Softball Preseason Poll
1. Depaul - 48 points (six first place votes)
2. St. John's - 42 (one first place vote)
3. Georgetown - 36 (one first place vote)
4. Butler - 26
5. Creighton - 23
6. Seton Hall - 20
7. Villanova - 17
8. Providence - 12