Softball Earns Pair of High Preseason Rankings
1/27/2005 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Jan. 27, 2005
WACO, Texas --Returning seven starters and two pitchers, the Baylor softball team has earned a pair of high preseason rankings in polls released Thursday. In a vote by league coaches, the Lady Bears have been tabbed to finish fourth in the Big 12 Conference the conference office announced. In addition, Baylor has been ranked No. 17 in the USA Today/NFCA Preseason Top 25.
Texas is the Big 12 softball coaches' preseason favorite to win the league title this season. The Longhorns, with 77 points, received six of the possible 10 first-place votes to edge out Oklahoma, which tallied four first-place votes and 75 points. Texas A&M (61 pts.) ranked third followed by Baylor (fourth - 58 pts.), Nebraska (fifth - 48 pts.), Missouri (sixth - 43 pts.), Oklahoma State (seventh - 32 pts.), Kansas (eighth - 24 pts.), Texas Tech (ninth - 20 pts.) and Iowa State (10th -12 pts).
It is the highest Baylor has been picked in the preseason poll since 2002, when the Lady Bears were picked to finish fourth in the conference. The fourth-place preseason selection ties the 2002 squad for the highest predicted league finish in school history.
Baylor's No. 17 preseason ranking in the USA Today/NFCA Preseason Top 25 is the highest ranking for the Lady Bears in school history, surpassing the No. 18 ranking the Lady Bears currently hold in the ESPN.com/USA Softball preseason poll.
California, which only lost one player from last year's national runner-up team, is ranked No. 1 in the USA Today/NFCA Preseason Top 25 poll released by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association.
Oklahoma (No. 4), Texas (No. 15) and Nebraska (No. 18) join the Lady Bears in the rankings as Texas A&M, Oklahoma State and Kansas also earned preseason top 25 votes.
The USA Today/NFCA Division I Top 25 poll is voted on by 30 NCAA Division I coaches, representing each conference. The first regular season poll will be released on Wednesday, Feb. 16.
Baylor returns seven starters, including all-conference selections Carrie Leerberg, Kelly Osburn and Harmony Schwethelm, as well as both pitchers, Lisa Ferguson and Cristin Vitek, from last year's squad that became the first in school history to qualify for the NCAA Softball Championships.
Baylor opens the season when the Lady Bears host Louisiana-Monroe on Friday, Feb. 4, at 2:30 p.m. to open the Getterman Classic. Illinois, ranked No. 22 in the preseason poll, and Centenary round out the four-team field for the fourth annual Getterman Classic.
2005 Big 12 Conference Softball Preseason Coaches Poll
Team (first-place votes)
1. Texas (6) 77
2. Oklahoma (4) 75
3. Texas A&M 61
4. Baylor 58
5. Nebraska 48
6. Missouri 43
7. Oklahoma State 32
8. Kansas 24
9. Texas Tech 20
10. Iowa State 12
**Points were awarded nine for first, eight for second, etc.**
USA Today/NFCA Division I Top 25 Poll
1. California (14)
2. UCLA (12)
3. Arizona (4)
4. Oklahoma
5. LSU
6. Stanford
7. Georgia
8. Michigan
9. Louisiana-Lafayette
10. Florida State
11. Washington
12. Alabama
13. Oregon
14. Tennessee
15. Texas
16. Oregon State
17. Baylor
18. Nebraska
19. Fresno State
20. Long Beach State
21. South Florida
22. Illinois
23. Georgia Tech
24. Southern Illinois
25. Hofstra
