Thread: Preseason Polls rank Arizona Softball 8th in the Country

Preseason Polls Tab Wildcats Eighth - University of Arizona Wildcats Official Athletic Site


TUCSON - It is business as usual for the Arizona softball team as it receives its 24th straight preseason top-10 ranking. The Wildcats were ranked eighth by both polls (USA Today/NFCA and ESPN.com/USA Softball).

At eighth, Arizona is the highest-ranked team not to make the 2011 Women's College World Series.

Defending champion ASU is ranked No. 1 in both set of rankings, receiving all but one of the combined 50 votes in the polls. Arizona and UCLA split top-ranked honors in 2011 and neither team made it to the WCWS.

The Pac-12 led all conferences with seven of its nine teams ranked in both polls. The Pac-12 teams in the top-25 are as follows: ASU (1/1), California (4/3), Arizona (8/8), Stanford (9/10), Washington (12/14), Oregon (16/11) and UCLA (19/13).

The Sun Devils were a unanimous No. 1 in the USA Today/NFCA Division I Top 25. The SEC claimed the next two slots with Florida and Alabama ranked No. 2 and No. 3, respectively. California is ranked fourth and Oklahoma, which denied Arizona the 2011 WCWS, is ranked fifth.

Alabama is ranked second behind ASU in the ESPN.com/USA Softball Collegiate Top 25 Poll. California, which finished 2011 with a 45-13 record, is ranked third. Florida received one vote for No. 1 and is ranked fourth. Missouri rounds out the top five with 411 votes.

Twenty-six of Arizona's 56 games will be played against preseason top-25 teams, including 14 top-10 squads.

Arizona begins its season Feb. 9 when it travels to Tempe for the Kajikawa Classic.

ESPN.com/USA Softball Collegiate Top 25
Rank Team 2011 Record Points Final 2011 Ranking
1. Arizona State (19) 60-6 497 1
2. Alabama 53-11 438 3
3. California 45-13 425 5
4. Florida (1) 56-13 420 2
5. Missouri 53-10 411 6
6. Oklahoma 43-19 408 7
7. Baylor 47-15 372 4
8. Arizona 43-18 331 11
9. Tennessee 49-12 316 16
10. Stanford 42-17 314 10
11. Oregon 42-16 252 14
12. Georgia 51-14 239 9
13. UCLA 36-19 235 16
14. Washington 37-15 232 15
15. Texas A&M 44-15 228 13
T16. Michigan 53-6 211 17
T16. Oklahoma State 40-20 211 8
18. Kentucky 40-16 203 12
19. Texas 46-10 195 19
T20. LSU 40-18 106 22
T20. Nebraska 41-14 106 21
22. Houston 44-18 72 18
23. Georgia Tech 45-12 62 24
24. Louisiana-Lafayette 51-11 52 25
25. Notre Dame 46-11 40 23


USA Today/NFCA Division I Top 25 Preseason Poll

Rank Team 2011 Record Totals Final 2011 Poll
1 Arizona St. (30) 60-6 750 1
2 Florida 56-13 690 2
3 Alabama 53-11 675 3
4 California 45-13 651 5
5 Oklahoma 43-19 603 7
6 Missouri 53-13 594 6
7 Baylor 47-15 567 4
8 Arizona 43-18 515 11
9 Stanford 42-17 467 10
10 Georgia 51-14 455 9
11 Oklahoma St. 42-20 444 8
12 Washington 37-16 402 12
13 Kentucky 40-16 360 13
14 Tennessee 49-12 348 18
15 Michigan 53-6 324 17
16 Oregon 42-16 309 15
17 Texas A&M 44-15 297 14
18 Texas 46-10 278 20
19 UCLA 36-19 247 19
20 Houston 44-18 185 16
21 Nebraska 41-14 173 21
22 LSU 40-18 119 22
23 La.-Lafayette 51-11 95 23
24 Tulsa 46-15 45 24
24 Louisville 38-20 32 RV

1st Home Game for the SOFTBALL team and 1st Game for the BASEBALL team will BOTH be on Friday, FEB 17.

Softball will be at 4pm local at Hillenbrand stadium (1st game of doubleheader) and the Baseball will be at 6pm local (BEER!) at Hi-Corbett! Should be a great spring for guy & gal's ball teams!!