SAVANNAH, Ga. - The Armstrong Atlantic State University softball squad has been picked to finish second in the 2012 Peach Belt Conference preseason poll of the league's coaches, released on Wednesday by league officials.

The Pirates received three first-place votes and 88 points overall, picked to finish behind three-time defending PBC champion North Georgia, who received eight first-place votes and 98 points total.

Flagler was picked third with 77 points, followed by Augusta State (73), Columbus State (71) and USC Aiken (55), with Francis Marion (44) picked seventh, Georgia College (36) eighth, UNC Pembroke (31) ninth, Lander (18) tenth and Georgia Southwestern (14) eleventh.

Armstrong finished the 2011 season with a 33-14 overall record, finishing second in the PBC with a 13-7 league mark and advancing to the NCAA Championships for the fifth time in the last six seasons. Head coach Ted Evans returns the majority of that team led by PBC Player of the Year April Jowers, who led the PBC with a .497 batting average last year and earned consensus first-team All-American honors. In all, five All-Conference players from last season will be back for 2012 including catcher Ashley Buckett, outfielder Shelby Duff, third baseman Baillie Temples and pitcher Megan Barnwell.

Click here to view the complete 2012 Peach Belt Conference preseason coaches' poll.

The Pirates open the 2012 season on Saturday, February 4, hosting Florida Tech at 1:00 p.m. as a part of Armstrong's 35th Anniversary of Women's Athletics celebration.