Angelo State was tabbed the 2012 Lone Star Conference Softball favorite as the preseason poll was announced by league officials on Thursday.

      ASU earned eight first-place votes and 232 overall points in the poll selected by LSC coaches, sports information directors and various media representatives. The Rambelles, who are coming off a 45-14 overall record in 2011 and their seventh NCAA Division II regional appearance, earned a share of the South Division title last season.

      Texas Woman’s sophomore Bailey Vrazel was named LSC Preseason Player of the Year. The shortstop from Danbury, Texas, stole 74 bases on 77 attempts last season to pace all collegiate softball players (NCAA Division I, II, III and NAIA) in steals while setting a new TWU and Lone Star Conference single-season stolen base record. She also led the Pioneers in batting average (.423), at-bats (189), runs (43), hits (80), triples (4) and on-base percentage (.483) to earn NFCA All-American, Daktronics South Central Regional Player of the Year and LSC South Division Co-Player of the Year and Freshman of the Year distinction.

      Incarnate Word’s Briana Sanchez claimed LSC Preseason Pitcher of the Year honors. The junior from San Antonio, boasted a 21-11 record in the circle with a 1.89 earned run average and 267 strikeouts in 218.1 innings last season. She threw two no-hitters to earn second-team Daktronics South Central Region, LSC South Division Pitcher of the Year and first-team acclaim.

      UIW, who shared the 2011 South Division title with ASU, was second with a pair of first-place nods for 214 points, to edge the defending LSC champions, West Texas A&M. The Lady Buffs were the top pick on seven ballots for 212 points after winning a regional championship last season.

      Midwestern State garnered the most first-place votes with nine to rank fourth with 206 points, after a banner 2011 season that ended in the national semifinals. The Mustangs recorded an LSC record 54 wins for the second consecutive season including regional and super regional titles.

     TWU was fifth with 142 points, followed by Abilene Christian sixth (135) and Tarleton State seventh (102). Cameron (87), Texas A&M-Kingsville (68) and Eastern New Mexico (32) rounded out the poll.

      The 2012 season starts in early February with LSC teams playing a single round-robin schedule with a three-game series against every other team. Each series shall consist of a doubleheader one day and single 7-inning game the other day.

      The overall LSC Champion will be the team(s) with the best winning percentage in regular-season conference games, while the winner of the postseason championship will be recognized as LSC Tournament Champion and receive the league’s automatic qualification into NCAA postseason. The single-elimination championship will be played April 27-28 in Denton, Texas.

      Here’s a closer look at the voting breakdown: