SAN FRANCISCO - For the third consecutive season, UCLA has been voted by the Conference’s softball head coaches as the league’s preseason favorite for the upcoming campaign.

The Bruins, which have made seven straight trips to the Women's College World Series, collected all eight available first-place votes and totaled 64 points to top the annual poll. It's the first time since 2016 (Oregon) that a Pac-12 team has garnered every available first-place vote. Coaches may not vote for their own teams.

Stanford was second with 54 points, and followed closely by Washington (53 points), which picked up the remaining first-place vote. Coming off its first Super Regional appearance since 2011, the Cardinal boasts its highest-ever position in the preseason poll. Stanford had been picked third twice previously, in 2002 and 2006. 

Oregon collected 39 points and Arizona 30 to round out the top portion of the rankings. Oregon State was sixth (25 points), California seventh (21 points), Utah eighth (20 points) and Arizona State ninth (18 points).

Seven of the league's nine teams are also nationally ranked and appear in the first USA Today/NFCA Division I Top 25 Coaches Poll for the upcoming season, which was unveiled Tuesday. UCLA checks in at No. 2 and is followed by No. 12 Arizona, No. 14 Washington, No. 17 Stanford, No. 19 Oregon State, No. 22 Arizona State and No. 24 Oregon among Pac-12 schools in the initial rankings. The Pac-12's seven nationally-ranked teams are the second most in the country, trailing only the 13-team SEC, which has nine. It's the first time since 2013 that the Conference has had seven teams in the USA TODAY/NFCA preseason poll.

In addition to the annual coaches poll, the Pac-12 revealed the results of the Preseason All-Conference Team, which was also voted on by the league’s coaches for the first time.

Reigning Pac-12 Player of the Year and first-team NFCA All-American Baylee Klingler of Washington highlights the 20-player list. Three NFCA All-America second teamers from a season ago are also on the preseason all-conference team for 2023 in Arizona State's Yannira Acuña, UCLA's Megan Faraimo, the 2022 Pac-12 Pitcher of the Year, and Arizona's Allie Skaggs. Also on the list are 2022 third-team All-Americans Makena Smith (California) and Ellessa Bonstrom (Utah).

UCLA has a league-high five players on the team. Washington is second with four.

Last season, seven Pac-12 teams reached the NCAA Tournament, three advanced to the Women's College World Series (Arizona, Oregon State, UCLA) and all nine squads finished with a .500 record or better.

2023 PAC-12 SOFTBALL PRESEASON COACHES POLL

2023 PRESEASON ALL-PAC-12 SOFTBALL TEAM (ALPHABETICAL)