After finishing seventh in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference standings in 2015, the Royals were picked for the No. 7 spot in this spring’s Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) Preseason Poll. Postseason champion Randolph-Macon was tabbed as the favorite.
Eastern Mennonite returns both of their All-ODAC performers, led by First Teamer Aislinn Lucas (Grottoes, Va./Fort Defiance). Lucas, a senior outfielder, has back-to-back awards as an All-ODAC First Team honoree, as well as two straight years as an All-Region and All-State performer. She batted .452 in 2015 (third in the ODAC) with 22 runs and 21 RBIs.
Lauren Seale (Madison, Va./Madison County) earned the designated player spot on the All-ODAC Second Team as a freshman, batting .346. She turned into the top pitcher for EMU, going 5-5 with two saves and a 3.06 ERA.
Also back are senior first baseman Angelia Miller (Bridgewater, Va./Turner Ashby), with her .411 batting average (5th – ODAC), six homeruns (5th) and 38 RBIs (3rd). Juniors Mariah Foltz (Broadway, Va./Broadway) and Danyele Smith (Broadway, Va./Broadway), who each had five homeruns and 31 runs, add teeth to the lineup.
The Royals open the new season at powerful Christopher Newport on March 4. They play at Greensboro the following day before heading to Myrtle Beach, S.C., for eight games at the Fastpitch Dreams bash over Spring Break. The home opener is March 16 against Southern Virginia with the ODAC season starting one week later at Virginia Wesleyan.