ROCKY MOUNT, N.C. – The USA South Conference softball coaches released their 2020 preseason polls on Thursday, Jan. 23, and Salem was picked to finish fourth in the league's East Division standings. Pfeiffer led the way in the East Division, followed by Averett and N.C. Wesleyan.

The Spirits are coming off a season where they finished 25-17 overall and 9-7 in USA South Conference action, reaching the quarterfinals of the league tournament before suffering a series of setbacks to Averett and eventual USA South Conference champion Maryville.

Second-year head coach Kierston Garner, a 2016 graduate of Salem, will have eight upperclassmen returning to her lineup, including senior catcher Madison Burch. Burch was one of 13 players on the Salem roster to finish with at least 10 hits, closing 10-of-28 (.357) from the plate in 29 games played in 2019. She wrapped up the season with seven RBI, a .429 slugging percentage and .424 on-base percentage.

Garner's lineup will also feature sophomore Brianne Coleman, who ranked in the top-five of nine major team statistical categories including batting average (.442—1st), doubles (13—1st), RBI (39—1st), slugging percentage (.770—1st), on-base percentage (.508—1st), stolen bases (5—2nd), hits (50—2nd) and at bats (113—3rd). Her postseason honors included a spot on the USA South First Team All-Conference, USA South Rookie of the Year, USA South First Team East Division and USA South All-Tournament Team.

On the mound, Salem returns Miranda Barker, who lead the team in wins (13) and ERA (2.14) along with Kyla Ogle, who finished 7-4 overall. Barker struck out 100 batters over the course of the 2019 season, ending with at least four strikeouts on 13 occasions, including a single-game season-high 14 K's in a 7-0 win at Mary Baldwin (April 6).

Ogle converted 82 strikeouts in 81 innings of work, recording at least five strikeouts in nine contests. She had a pair of double-digit strikeout performances in the first month of the season, fanning 11 Southern Virginia hitters on Feb. 16 and 10 Brandeis hitters two days later.

Salem begins the 2020 slate on Friday, Feb. 14 when it hosts a doubleheader against Southern Virginia (3 p.m. / 5 p.m.) to open the Salem Invitational. The Spirits will host 22 games at home this season, including the USA South Conference opener on March 17 against Pfeiffer (2 p.m. / 4 p.m.).

The season concludes at the 2020 USA South Softball Tournament, which will feature the top-six teams from each division beginning on April 18-19. The top-three seeds from each division will host best-of-three series. The winners of those series will advance to a six-team double-elimination tournament which will be played April 24-26 at the Rocky Mount Softball Complex in Rocky Mount, North Carolina as a part of the USA South Spring Sports Festival, hosted by the City of Rocky Mount.

For more information on Salem softball check out www.salemspirits.com.