CHARLOTTE — Coming off a second-place finish in the Big South regular season, Campbell's softball team has been picked to finish third in the league's preseason poll.
The Camels' baseball team was picked fifth.
Campbell's softball team received one first-place vote from the league's eight head coaches and wound up 17 points behind No. 1 Longwood, the three-time reigning champion.
The Camels went 29-29 overall and qualified for the inaugural National Invitational Softball Championship, their first postseason appearance since 2009.
Campbell's baseball team, coming off a 25-32 season overall, 10-14 in conference play to finish in eighth place, trailed No. 1 Winthrop by 40 points in the preseason rankings.
Twenty-four players return from last season's squad, including All-Big South second-team member and Midway High alum Matthew Barefoot. He was named a Freshman All-American by three publications (NCBWA, Perfect Game, College Baseball Newspaper) after posting a team-high .335 batting averaged and leading the league with 22 doubles.
Campbell's baseball team begins play Friday, Feb. 16, at home against St. John's. The Camels' softball team opens its season Thursday, Feb. 8, in San Deigo.