Tiger softball ranked No. 5 in ESPN preseason poll
After being tabbed the favorite in the Big 12 Conference by the league's coaches poll, the Missouri softball team received a No. 5 ranking in the ESPN.com/USA Softball Division I Top 25 Tuesday. The Tigers were also tabbed No. 6 in the NFCA/USA Today preseason poll.
Arizona State claimed 19 of 20 first-place votes to claim the top spot in the poll. Alabama, California, Florida and Missouri then rounded out the top five.
Missouri was the top-ranking Big 12 team in the poll, followed closely by Oklahoma at No. 6 and Baylor at No. 7. Texas A&M took the No. 15 spot, Oklahoma State was tied for No. 16 and Texas was ranked No. 19. Texas Tech received six votes for the poll.
The Big 12 was the second most represented conference in the poll with six teams, tied with the Southeastern Conference. The PAC-12 led all conferences with seven teams in the poll.
Missouri finished No. 6 in the poll last season, a year in which the Tigers won the Big 12 Championship and reached the Women's College World Series for the third consecutive season. The Tigers will return 11 letterwinners this year as they enter the season ranked No. 5.
ESPN.com/USA Softball Division I Preseason Poll
- Arizona State (19 first-place votes) -- 497 points
- Alabama -- 438
- California -- 425
- Florida (1) -- 420
- Missouri -- 411
- Oklahoma -- 408
- Baylor -- 372
- Arizona -- 331
- Tennessee -- 316
- Stanford -- 314
- Oregon -- 252
- Georgia -- 239
- UCLA -- 235
- Washington -- 232
- Texas A&M -- 228
- (tie) Michigan -- 211
- (tie) Oklahoma State -- 211
- Kentucky -- 203
- Texas -- 195
- (tie) LSU -- 106
- (tie) Nebraska -- 106
- Houston -- 72
- Georgia Tech -- 23
- UL Lafayette -- 52
- Notre Dame -- 40