UCLA earns top spot in 2021 Softball Preseason Coaches Poll

SAN FRANCISCO - In a vote of conference coaches, UCLA emerged as the preseason favorite in the Pac-12 Softball Preseason Coaches Poll ahead of the 2021 softball season. The Bruins, voted as the top team in the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Preseason Poll as well, secured 63 points including seven of a possible nine first-place votes.

ARIZONA was picked to finish second in the coaches poll with 55 points, collecting one first-place vote. The Wildcats, who were ranked No. 3 overall in the NFCA Preseason Poll, came out just ahead of WASHINGTON, who received 53 points and the last first-place vote. The Huskies were ranked No. 2 overall in the NFCA Preseason Poll.

ARIZONA STATE, the only other program to earn votes in the top three of the Pac-12 Coaches Poll, took fourth place with 42 points. OREGON garnered 37 points to take the fifth slot, followed by STANFORD in sixth with 26 points.

UTAH (19 points), OREGON STATE (17 points) and CALIFORNIA (12 points) rounded out the poll.

Non-conference play kicks off this week with ARIZONA, ARIZONA STATE and UTAH competing on Thursday, Feb. 11. Conference competition opens on Friday, March 19. For more information, including television schedules, please visit pac-12.com.

No. 10 OREGON and No. 16 ARIZONA STATE join No. 1 UCLA, No. 2 WASHINGTON and No. 3 ARIZONA as ranked teams in the NFCA Preseason poll, with STANFORD and UTAH also receiving votes. The Pac-12 has won 24 of a possible 38 Women’s College World Series titles.

All softball matches will be conducted in accordance with the Pac-12 COVID-19 Medical Advisory Committee health and safety recommendations and guidelines, available at Pac-12.com/health.

The following are the results of the preseason coaches’ poll. Eight points are awarded for a first-place vote, seven points for a second-place vote, six for a third-place vote, etc. First-place votes are in parentheses. Coaches are not allowed to vote for their own teams.

2021 PAC-12 SOFTBALL PRESEASON COACHES POLL 

	Team (First Place Votes)	Points
	1. UCLA (7)	63
	2. ARIZONA (1)	55
	3. WASHINGTON (1)	53
	4. ARIZONA STATE	42
	5. OREGON	37
	6. STANFORD	26
	7. UTAH	19
	8. OREGON STATE	17
	9. CALIFORNIA	12