Softball coaches from the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference have picked Lock Haven and Kutztown as the favorites to win respective Western and Eastern Division titles in 2008.

In the Western Division, Lock Haven is followed by Edinboro, IUP, California, Slippery Rock, and Clarion.

In the East, Bloomsburg, East Stroudsburg, Shippensburg, Millersville, Mansfield, and West Chester fall in place behind Kutztown.

Lock Haven has its eyes set on a third straight trip to the NCAA Division II National Championship Game.  In 2006 Lock Haven captured the National Championship, but came up two wins shy of the repeat in 2007, making the Lady Eagles season record 52-5.  Lock Haven was beat in the first elimination game by SIU-Edwardsville.  Lock Haven looks to repeat its two-year reign over the PSAC West as they start the season as the second-ranked team in the nation by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association.

The 2008 squad is returning every starter from last year's roster except pitcher Stephanie Kinch.  Kinch was Lock Haven's number two pitcher and posted an 8-0 record for the Lady Eagles.  Lock Haven will be returning two-time National Pitcher of the Year and PSAC West Pitcher of the Year Kristen Erb along with PSAC West Player of the Year Ilia Lopez.

Lopez led the team last year in home runs (12), runs batted in (51), total bases (103), base on balls (21), on-base percentage (.409) and slugging percentage (.606).  The table will be set for Lopez by the speedster Julia Popovich.  Popovich's speed and bat control made her the team's hit leader (70) and at-bat leader (199).  Amanda Roosa, Erb, Sarah Norris, Devin Glezen, and Erica Eisenbise will round out the heart of the Lady Eagles order.  That five ended last year with a combined total of 31 home runs, 55 doubles, and 169 RBI.

Erb will anchor a pitching staff that will be looking for another pitcher to step up and take the position of second pitcher.  Erb is coming off of her second All-America season, boasting a 39-4 record and 0.62 ERA.  The Lady Eagles will be returning every position player from the 2007 conference leading defense. Centerfielder Nancy O'Conner will look to lead as she will try to better her stellar .970 fielding percentage.

Kutztown looks to repeat as PSAC East Champions as they are coming off of a 22-2 PSAC record.  Kutztown was defeated in the PSAC Tournament by Lock Haven but the Golden Bears are poised and reloaded as they look to build on their 2007 PSAC East campaign and avenge last season's loss to the Lady Eagles.  Kutztown owned the conference's best offense last season.  The Golden Bear offense posted a .349 team batting average while scoring 416 runs in 61 games.

The Golden Bears are led by the PSAC Eastern Division Player of the Year and All-American Stephanie Denlinger and Eastern Division Pitcher of the Year Kaitlin Arbogast.  Denlinger put together an incredible sophomore season.  The Golden Bears first baseman hit a conference-high .507.  Her average was .92 points better than any other player in the league last season.  She also scored a conference-high 70 runs, 24 home runs, and 73 runs batted in.  Junior Ashley Fitzgerald will join Denlinger in the Golden Bears lineup.  Fitzgerald had 76 hits and 131 total bases.

Arbogast will lead Kutztown's defense as she attempts to match or better her incredible freshman season.  Arbogast finished the 2007 campaign with a 27-9 record.  She set Kutztown records in wins, strikeouts (287) and complete games (29) while tossing 249.1 innings.  The workhorse of KU's staff, Arbogast won an impressive 21 straight decisions.  She appeared in almost half of the Golden Bears games and recorded twice as many wins as the next Kutztown pitcher.  Arbogast dealt a 1.87 ERA in 40 appearances.  The Golden Bear defense posted a .957 fielding percentage as they backed Arbogast.

Kutztown also has boasts PSAC East and Second Team All-American Second Baseman, Kim Morrison and PSAC East Third Baseman, Krista Cameron.  The two combined for 138 hits, 100 runs scored, 97 runs batted in, and 19 home runs.