Stephen F. Austin State University

Stephen F. Austin’s softball team will begin this season the way it finished 2008: atop the Southland Conference standings.

The defending tournament champions were a narrow choice over regular season champs Texas State in the preseason poll, which was announced on Thursday. The Ladyjacks (36-25 last season) received 104 points and seven first place votes, edging out the Bobcats (35-18), who received 98 points and two first place nods.

SFA sophomore pitcher Monika Covington, who led the SLC with 270 strikeouts and outfielder Kendal Harper were selected to the first team. The pair was among two of 22 players who are returning all-conference selections.

Sam Houston State was picked fifth in the poll, as the Bearkats will be led by sophomore outfielder Hailey Wiginton, who finished second in the SLC with a .389 batting average.

UTSA picked for three-peat

Two-time defending champion Texas-San Antonio beat out Sam Houston State and Texas State as the pick to win the Southland Conference baseball title, which was announced Thursday.

The Roadrunners received 110 points and five first place votes to edge the Bearkats and Bobcats (106 points each). Texas State did receive four first place votes, with Sam Houston State – the defending SLC tourney champs -- receiving two. Lamar, picked fourth, grabbed a first place nod and 97 total points.

Marlin stands alone

Sam Houston State’s win over Texas State on Wednesday night proved to be more than just a victory that improved the Bearkats to 2-1 in Southland Conference men’s basketball play.

The win over the rival Bobcats marked the 190th victory for Bob Marlin at Sam Houston State, making him the school’s most prolific coach in that category. Marlin (190-118) surpassed the 189 wins of Archie Porter, who led the Bearkats from 1965-75.

Sauls honored by Great West

Houston Baptist guard Baron Sauls earned his second Great West Conference men’s basketball player of the week award after leading the Huskies to a 71-64 win over Utah Valley.

Sauls had 19 points, six rebounds and seven assists along with setting a new school record with nine steals.

Ladies’ first

Saturday’s Texas State-Lamar game will be the first women’s basketball contest televised on the new Southland Television Network (2 p.m., KTBU).

It will be one of three regular season games that will be aired (Northwestern State-Texas-San Antonio Feb. 25 and a wild card game on March 4) prior to the SLC Tournament, where the network will air the two women’s semifinal games on March 13 and the championship game the following day.

Lamar (12-5, 3-1) has won 11 straight games at the Montagne Center and faces a Bobcats (8-8, 2-2) team that handed them their last home loss, a 69-53 decision last season.

Simply perfect

The Texas State-Lamar women’s game will also feature Cardinals guard Emily Spickler, who leads the nation with a .575 mark from 3-point range. The senior set a Southland Conference mark by going 7-of-7 from beyond the arc in Wednesday’s victory at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, leading Lamar to a 68-44 win over the Islanders.

East receives SWAC accolades

Texas Southern junior guard Trikeyia East was chosen as both the Southwestern Athletic Conference’s player and newcomer of the week after averaging 17 points and 9.5 rebounds in wins over Jackson State and Grambling.