DENVER - New Mexico State is the preseason favorite to win the 2015 Western Athletic Conference softball title in a vote of the league's six head coaches, who could not vote for their own team.
The coaches also voted preseason award winners and Aggie Staci Rodriguez was selected as the Preseason Player of the Year and Missouri-Kansas City's Katie Kelley was selected as the Preseason Pitcher of the Year.
The Aggies took the top spot in the preseason poll with 23 points and three first-place votes, edging out Grand Canyon in second place with 22 points and the other three first-place votes. Seattle U was third with 14 points, while Utah Valley and UMKC tied for fourth place with 13 points each. Bakersfield rounded out the poll with five points.
New Mexico State placed the most players on the Preseason All-WAC team with four, while Grand Canyon and Seattle U had three apiece and UMKC had two.
The 2015 season begins Thursday, Feb. 5. The 2015 WAC Softball Tournament will be held May 7-9, at the New Mexico State Softball Complex, and will include all five eligible teams.
2015 WAC Preseason Softball Coaches Poll
|
Rank |
Teams (1st-Place Votes) |
Points |
|
1 |
New Mexico State (3) |
23 |
|
2 |
Grand Canyon (3) |
22 |
|
3 |
Seattle U |
14 |
|
T-4. |
UMKC |
13 |
|
T-4. |
Utah Valley |
13 |
|
6 |
Bakersfield |
5 |
2015 Preseason Softball All-WAC Team
|
Player |
School |
Yr. |
Pos. |
|
Emma Adams |
New Mexico State |
Jr. |
3B |
|
Kelsey Barak |
Grand Canyon |
Sr. |
SS |
|
Fiana Finau |
New Mexico State |
Jr. |
1B/DP |
|
Izzy Geronimo |
Seattle U |
Jr. |
OF |
|
Kayla Henry |
Grand Canyon |
Sr. |
OF |
|
Katie Kelley |
UMKC |
Jr. |
P/1B |
|
Lisa Maulden |
Seattle U |
Sr. |
1B |
|
Bubba Morrow |
Seattle U |
Sr. |
C |
|
Nicole Newbury |
Grand Canyon |
Jr. |
3B |
|
Cinda Ramos |
UMKC |
Sr. |
P/1B |
|
Staci Rodriguez |
New Mexico State |
Sr. |
OF |
|
Lacey Rother |
New Mexico State |
Sr. |
C/OF |
|
Brittney Vansway |
Utah Valley |
So. |
IF |
Preseason Player of the Year: Staci Rodriguez, New Mexico State
Preseason Pitcher of the Year: Katie Kelley, UMKC