AUGUSTA, Ga. – The Flagler College softball team was picked to finish third in the preseason Peach Belt Conference coaches poll which was released this afternoon by conference officials.

Flagler tallied 77 points after receiving two second place, five third place, one fourth place and two fifth place votes.

The defending conference champion, North Georgia College & State University, is picked to defend its title and claimed eight of a possible 10 first place votes and tallied 98 points. Armstrong Atlantic State University, who finished second in the league a year ago, is selected to finish second and garnered three first-place votes and five second place votes on its way to a total of 88 points.

Flagler is coming off its best season since starting the program back in 2009. The Saints went 42-18 overall and 12-8 in conference played and they tied for third place in the league. Flagler advanced to the NCAA regionals for the first time and posted a 2-2 record.

The Saints return preseason all-conference pick Breezy Collings (Orange City, Fla., Brevard CC). The senior first baseman hit a team-high .383 with 70 hits, nine home runs and a school record 60 runs batted in. Collings is one of four Flagler infielders to earn second-team All-Peach Belt honors at the end of the 2011 season. Senior second baseman Alona Personius (Lake Stevens, Wash., Florida State College-Jacksonville), sophomore shortstop Lauren Bessent (Jacksonville, Fla., Trinity Christian Academy), and junior third baseman Tori Jolley (Keystone Heights, Fla., Keystone Heights HS) were all honored last year. Personius belted a school record 12 home runs and scored a record 48 runs while Bessent collected 70 hits and tied the record for triples in a season with four. Jolley batted .292 and had a .432 slugging percentage.

Senior outfielder Lauren Ely (Winter Springs, Fla., Winter Springs HS) stole a school record 23 bases a year ago. Head coach Kristen Overton returns a pair of pitchers, Kalyn Loverich (St. Johns, Fla., Bartram Trail HS) (13-5, 4 saves, 1.53 ERA, 123 Ks) and Donna Munafo (Satellite Beach, Fla., Brevard CC) (7-8, 2 saves, 1.36 ERA, 106 Ks), who saw plenty of time in the circle last year.

Flagler opens the season on Feb. 4 at home against Lynn University in a noon doubleheader. 

Click here to view the entire poll (PDF).