OKLAHOMA CITY – The Mid-America Christian University Softball Lady Evangels have been picked to finish fifth in the 2017 Sooner Athletic Conference preseason poll, released today (Jan. 18).

The Oklahoma City University Stars, the defending NAIA National Champions, were picked on all possible ballots to win the SAC this season.

St. Gregory's University came in second, followed by USAO, Texas Wesleyan University MACU to round out the top five.

Bacone College and Southwestern Christian University finished in a tie for sixth, while Southwestern Assemblies of God University concluded the poll in the eighth spot.

Under sixth-year head coach Robert Wakefield, the program has plenty of momentum heading into the 2017 campaign.

The Lady Evangels are coming off of three consecutive winning seasons along with their first-ever appearance in the National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA) World Series last year.

The SAC season concludes with the postseason tournament that will feature two brackets, with the winners advancing to the championship game on May 6 at Oklahoma City University.