Iowa Central (45-13 last season, 19-6 ICCAC) returns a plethora of talent from a squad that saw its season end in the Region XI Championship game last season. Iowa Central boasts 14 returning sophomores, seven returning starters, seven All-Region XI performers and a pair of All-Americans.

"Hopes are definitely high this season and it's great to be ranked so high in the preseason poll, it shows just how far the program has come," said second-year head coach Josh Sandin. "However, it's not our goal to be ranked No. 4 on January 27; it's to be ranked No. 1 on May 19."

The Tritons are headlined this year by returning All-Americans Moran Allee and Megan Risetter. Allee, a shortstop from Cedar Rapids, was a First Team NFCA and NJCAA All-American last season as she batted .534 with 19 doubles and 47 stolen bases. Risetter, a third baseman from Fort Dodge, was the main beneficiary of Allee habit of being on base as she collected 75 RBI and batted .462 with 19 home runs. She was a Second Team NFCA All-American.

The Tritons also have experience returning in the pitching circle with First Team All-Region pitchers Corinne Frei and Molly Cox back for their sophomore seasons. Frei was 22-5 last season with a 2.48 ERA and Cox was 21-7 with a 2.23 ERA.

Kirkwood is the only other ICCAC school appearing on the list as the defending Region XI champions check in at No. 14. Several other of Iowa Central's opponents are ranked as well. Labette is No. 7, setting up a Top-10 clash on Sunday, March 4, in Parsons, Kan. Also, Western Nebraska is ranked No. 19 in the NJCAA Division I Softball preseason poll and will face the Tritons on Friday, March 30.

"Our schedule is going to be tough this year and I expect some teams that are on our schedule but not in the preseason poll to be ranked by the time we play them," said Sandin. "We want to play a tough schedule. We have a special group with the sophomores we have returning and the freshmen we brought in, and we want to see just how good we can be this year."

Iowa Central finished ranked No. 12 last season after beginning the year at No. 15. The Tritons were ranked as high as No. 3 in the nation in 2011. It is the fourth straight year Iowa Central has been ranked in the preseason poll, and the highest it has even been ranked in a preseason poll. The Tritons have now been ranked in the last 29 consecutive polls.

Iowa Central opens the 2012 season on Saturday, February 18, against Neosho in Chanute, Kan. The Tritons' home and ICCAC opener is Saturday, March 12, against Marshalltown at Noon at Triton Field.

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