Jan. 11, 2005

VILLANOVA, Pa.--The Big East Conference released its 2005 Preseason Softball poll on Tuesday, with the league's head coaches choosing Villanova to finish third. The Wildcats, receiving 63 points, placed behind Notre Dame and Seton Hall.

Villanova finished last season tied for second in the league with a 12-8 mark in conference play, an identical record to eventual tournament champion Seton Hall. Notre Dame, which captured nine first place votes and 81 total points, is the defending regular-season champion, ending its 2004 campaign with a league-best 18-2 record (49-20 overall). Seton Hall, chosen to finish second, grabbed the final first place vote and 73 points.

The Wildcats ended the 2004 season with a 32-26 record and qualified for the Big East Championship for the fifth consecutive year. Boston College was picked to finish fourth, ahead of Syracuse, St. John's and Providence, which finished fifth, sixth and seventh, respectively.

Rounding out the voting was Connecticut (eighth), Rutgers (ninth) and Pittsburgh (tenth).

The 2005 Big East Championship will be held at the Belleville Softball Complex in South Bend, Ind. The top four teams in the league will participate in the event, which begins May 12, 2005.

Villanova's season starts Feb. 18-20 when it heads to the East Carolina Pirate Classic. The Wildcats will face Fordham, Ohio, College of Charleston and Radford in the weekend tournament.