The 2022 college softball season was a banner year for the Pac-12 as seven teams reached the NCAA Tournament, three advanced to the Women's College World Series and all nine finished with a .500 record or better — the only conference that can make that claim.

What's in store in 2023? Here's one thing to know about each team in the order in which they finished in 2022.

No. 22 Arizona State — It's a new era

The reigning Pac-12 champs have a new leader this season after 2022 Pac-12 Coach of the Year Trisha Ford departed for Texas A&M.

Megan Bartlett was an assistant coach at Texas last season, helping the unseeded Longhorns make a surprising run to the Women's College World Series Championship Series. Before that, she had a successful stint as the head coach at Ball State where she won 57 percent of her games, had three straight 30-win seasons from 2017-19 and won a MAC West Division title.

Bartlett's first Sun Devil squad will welcome a lot of new faces, but still features seven starters from last's year Pac-12-title team, including three all-conference players: Yannira Acuña (OF), Jazmine Hill (OF), and Jazmyn Rollin (2B). All three hit 13 or more homers last season, helping ASU lead the Pac-12 in runs per game (6.9) and long balls (104).

The Sun Devils have a revamped pitching staff whose success could make or break their season. Marissa Schuld, who posted a 2.07 ERA in 89 innings last year, is the only returning arm. Transfers Mac Osborne (Virginia Tech), Kenzie Brown (Tulsa) and Deborah Jones (Ball State) — a two-time Second Team All-MAC pitcher — and freshman Kylee Magee will try to make an immediate impact.

No. 2 UCLA — It's championship or bust

Which is nothing new for a program that boasts an NCAA-best 12 national championships. Several national polls list the Bruins as the No. 2 team in the country and they landed six players in D1Softball.com's preseason top 100, the second-most in the country.

2022 Pac-12 Pitcher of the Year Megan Faraimo will spearhead a pitching staff that now includes former Oregon ace and Pac-12 First Teamer Brooke Yanez. Arizona transfers and fellow All-Pac-12 performers Janelle Meoño (OF) and Sharlize Palacios (C) bolster a deep lineup that already has big names like Maya Brady (OF), Aaliyah Jordan (OF), Alyssa Garcia (C/1B) and Savannah Pola (IF). UCLA brought in one of the top freshman classes in the country too.

Simply put: the Bruins are stacked and it would be stunning if they don't make their eighth straight trip to the Women's College World Series.

No. 14 Washington — The Huskies have a new ace

The great Gabbie Plain is gone after five stellar seasons in Seattle, leaving a major void in the circle for the Huskies, who perennially finish near the top of the Pac-12.

Arizona State transfer and All-Pac-12 First Team pitcher Lindsay Lopez was a big addition, but others will need to step up too. Will it be a senior like Kelley Lynch and Brooke Nelson or a freshman like the highly-ranked Ruby Meylan?

Otherwise, Washington is loaded with a strong sophomore class and tons of seasoned talent. Reigning Pac-12 Player of the Year and Triple Crown winner Baylee Klingler and all-conference outfielders Madison Huskey and Sami Reynolds are among the eight seniors/fifth-years on UW's roster.

Several of them were on Washington's last Women's College World Series team in 2019, and they would love nothing more than to cap their careers in OKC.

No. 17 Stanford — Oklahoma City is the next destination

The Cardinal advanced to Super Regionals in 2022 for the first time since 2011, another step forward under sixth-year head coach Jessica Allister. What's next for them? Reaching the Women's College World Series for the first time since 2004.

There's no doubt Stanford has the talent to make it there, bringing back nearly its entire starting lineup and its top pitchers from last season in Alana Vawter and Reagan Krause. Vawter, a senior, is regarded as one of the top hurlers in the country after going 25-14 with a 1.97 ERA last year. Behind her is a defense that, led by upperclassmen like Emily Young (SS), Sydnee Huff (2B) and Taylor Gindlesperger (CF), is one of the most dazzling in the country.

Scoring will be the greatest challenge. Stanford ranked last in the Pac-12 in runs, batting average and home runs last season. Its 24 long balls were 15 fewer than the next Pac-12 team, though that's partly because of the cavernous dimensions and tall fences at Smith Family Stadium.

An even more experienced lineup and a top-10 freshman class that features two-way player NiJaree Canady, the Kansas Gatorade Player of the Year, could create a more consistent offense. Either way, the Cardinal has already shown that it can thrive in low-scoring games.

No. 24 Oregon — The Ducks put the 'O' in Oregon

The Ducks made noticeable strides at the plate in 2022, seeing a 15 percent increase in run production thanks in part to new hitting coach Sam Marder. Oregon's offense finished in the top half of the Pac-12 in virtually every statistical category while leading in stolen bases (88).

It's exciting to think how much better they can be this season as they return nearly every key hitter. Among them are...

• Ariel Carlson (OF), whose 15 home runs last year were sixth-most in program history.
• Terra McGowan (C), the first Oregon catcher to lead the team in batting (.375) since 2005.
• Hanna Delgado (OF) and her .364 batting average.
• Vallery Wong (UTL) and her 10 home runs.
• Allee Bunker (2B), who also hit 10 home runs while hitting .361

Of course, offense only takes a team so far. The Ducks will need to improve on their 3.81 ERA from a season ago, which ranked eighth in the Pac-12. They have (at least) three solid options in sophomores Stevie Hansen and Elise Sokolsky and senior Morgan Scott.

Hansen made the Pac-12 All-Freshman Team last season after leading Oregon in ERA (3.27), wins (13), complete games (5), innings (124.1) and strikeouts (126). Sokolsky, a UConn transfer, led the Big East in wins (20) and strikeouts (180) last season. Scott, who arrives from UNC Greensboro, was a two-time Southern Conference Pitcher of the Year and struck out a school-record 286 batters in 249 innings in 2022 while posting a 2.28 ERA.

No. 19 Oregon State — The Beavers are looking to build on a historic season, but have big shoes to fill

The Beavers broke barriers in 2022, reaching Super Regionals and the Women's College World Series for the second time in program history and first time since 2006. They return most key contributors from that team — all-Pac-12 talents Sarah Haendiges (P), Kiki Escobar (IF) and Frankie Hammoude (1B) among them — but have to replace All-American Mariah Mazon, who was arguably the most valuable player in the country.

Last season, Mazon tied Hammoude for the team lead in RBI (40) while hitting .360 with 12 home runs, the second-best marks on the team (also behind Hammoude). Even more important, Mazon was Oregon State's workhorse in the circle, posting an elite 1.66 ERA in nearly 200 innings.

We know Haendiges, who went 13-7 with a 1.68 ERA, will be solid for Oregon State, but finding that No. 2 pitcher could determine if the Beavers can recapture their postseason magic. Keep an eye on sophomore Tarni Stepto. The Australian national teamer showed a knack for racking up strikeouts last season, fanning 96 batters in 71.1 innings.

Offensively, look for Grace Messmer (IF), Eliana Gottlieb (OF), Charity Sevaaetasi (UTL) and Madison Simon (OF) to step up and help Hammoude and Escobar replace Mazon's bat. They all hit at least five homers last season.

Utah — The Utes are out to prove the selection committee wrong

The Utes barely missed the NCAA Tournament last season, finishing among the First Four Teams Out, according to Extra Innings Softball. Luckily, they get another crack at it, returning nearly every key hitter and their top two pitchers in Sydney Sandez and Mariah Lopez. Lopez was an All-Pac-12 Third Teamer last season while Sandez led the Utes in innings (131), ERA (2.83) and shutouts (4).

It's hard to find a more talented trio than Ellessa Bonstrom (UTL), Julia Jimenez (3B) and Haley Denning (SS). Bonstrom (11 HR, .376 AVG) and Jimenez (10 HR, .325 AVG) made the All-Pac-12 First Team last season and the speedy Denning made the Second Team by hitting .373 and swiping a league-best 24 stolen bases.

They will carry a Utah offense that has room to improve after finishing sixth in the Pac-12 in batting average and eighth in home runs last season. The Utes also added four major-conference transfers who can help them get over the hump. Among them is sophomore outfielder Kaylah Nelson, who hit .295 with two homers and 23 RBI as a starter at Oregon State last season.

No. 12 Arizona — The juniors will try to lead the way back to OKC

The Wildcats exemplified how deep the Pac-12 was last season, reaching the Women's College World Series in Cailtin Lowe's first season at the helm despite finishing tied for last in the conference standings.

If they are going to make a fourth straight trip to Oklahoma City and contend for their ninth national championship, it will be on the backs of their juniors.

Carlie Scupin (1B) and Allie Skaggs (2B) both hit over .360 last season while combining for 43 home runs. Skaggs' 24 long balls were tied with Klingler for the most in the Pac-12. Jasmine Perezchica (OF) was one of the top table-setters in the conference (.371 AVG).

In the circle, Arizona will lean heavily on fellow junior Devyn Netz, the only Wildcat pitcher with Pac-12 experience. She logged a 3.45 ERA in 136 innings last year and improved throughout the season — especially in the NCAA Tournament where she had several impressive outings to help punch UA's ticket to OKC.

The Wildcats are traditionally one of the most offensively-gifted teams in the country, so their success could hinge on Netz's development. At the same time, highly-touted freshmen like Sydney Somerndike and Aissa Silva may need to contribute sooner rather than later. Having a fifth-year senior catcher like Izzy Pacho (another powerful hitter) can help make that happen.

California — The Bears are on the rise

The Golden Bears improved from 17 wins in 2021 to 28 wins in 2022 and there is no reason to think they can't continue their upward trajectory in head coach Chelsea Spencer's third season.

Cal returns nearly its entire 2022 lineup, including four All-Pac-12 performers — Makena Smith (C), Tatum Anzaldo (SS), Sona Halajian (P/DP) and Acacia Anders (2B). Smith was one of the top sluggers in the country, batting .412 with 13 homers. Anders (8 HR) and Anzaldo (.383 AVG) are an excellent middle infield duo. Halajian provides a power arm (3.87 ERA) and bat (13 HR).

Still, the Bears need to improve in the circle and on defense to become an NCAA Tournament-level team. They posted the worst ERA (4.12) and committed the most errors (63) in the Pac-12 last season.