WAC Coaches Select Seattle U as Preseason Favorites
DENVER – For the second year in a row, Seattle U is the preseason favorite to win the 2021 Western Athletic Conference softball title in a vote of the league's seven head coaches, who could not vote for their own team.
The Redhawks edged out the top spot in the preseason poll with 32 points as they collected four first-place votes. NM State was just behind them in second with 31 points, garnering the remaining three first-place votes. Utah Valley finished in third with 25 points while California Baptist slid into fourth, tallying 20 points. Grand Canyon landed in fifth with newcomer Dixie State taking sixth as they earned 19 points and 12 points, respectively. Tarleton rounded out the poll with eight points.
The Preseason All-WAC Team, as selected by the coaches, was also announced. The Preseason All-WAC Team includes last year's WAC Preseason Player of the Year and WAC Preseason Pitcher of the Year as NM State's Nikki Butler and Grand Canyon's Ryan Denhart each earned a selection. Along with Butler and Denhart, four other WAC Player of the Week award winners are included among this year's All-WAC team. Utah Valley's Devyn Cretz and Abby Doughty, NM State's Matalasi Faapito and California Baptist's Katelyn Mangrello each earned at least one player of the week award during the shortened 2020 season.
The first pitch of the 2021 season is set for Thursday, Feb. 11. The 2021 WAC Softball Tournament will be held May 13-15, at Francis F. Logan Field in Seattle.
2020 WAC Softball Preseason Coaches Poll
| Rank |
Team (1st-Place Votes) |
Points |
| 1. |
Seattle U (4) |
32 |
| 2. |
NM State (3) |
31 |
| 3. |
Utah Valley |
25 |
| 4. |
California Baptist |
20 |
| 5. |
Grand Canyon |
19 |
| 6. |
Dixie State |
12 |
| 7. |
Tarleton |
8 |
2021 Softball Preseason All-WAC Team
| Player |
School |
Yr. |
Pos. |
| Carissa Burgess |
Dixie State |
Jr. |
P |
| Nikki Butler |
NM State |
R-Sr. |
C |
| Georgia Capell |
Tarleton |
Jr. |
OF |
| Madison Cathcart |
Seattle U |
Gr. |
1B |
| Ally Choate |
Seattle U |
Sr. |
OF |
| Devyn Cretz |
Utah Valley |
Sr. |
P |
| Destiny Crumpley |
Tarleton |
Sr. |
INF |
| Ryan Denhart |
Grand Canyon |
Sr. |
P |
| Kaylee Dietrich |
Grand Canyon |
Sr. |
C/INF |
| Abby Doughty |
Utah Valley |
So. |
OF |
| Matalasi Faapito |
NM State |
R-Fr. |
P |
| Brittany Galvez |
California Baptist |
Gr. |
3B |
| Hannah Hughbanks |
Dixie State |
So. |
OF/1B |
| Katelyn Mangrello |
California Baptist |
So. |
C |