BIG WEST SOFTBALL COACHES PRESEASON POLL RELEASE
While 2021 promises to be a unique season, the Big West softball coaches picked a familiar face in Cal State Fullerton as the preseason favorite. The Titans had won four straight Big West titles before the coronavirus pandemic caused the cancellation of the remainder of the 2020 season.
The Titans garnered 79 total points and seven first-place votes to cement their favorite status. The club was 14-10 before the stoppage of play a year ago, battling the likes of Brigham Young, Arizona State, Notre Dame, Washington and Michigan among others. Sophomore MEGAN DELGADILLO returns to lead the way for CSF. She batted .408 with 31 hits, 17 runs and 16 stolen bases in the abbreviated 2020 campaign.
Next on the list is Long Beach State with 63 points and one first-place vote to its name. The Beach was 13-12 a year ago but performed well in tournament play with an 11-7 record in neutral site contests. The Beach will be looking for their first Big West title since the 2014 season but have been .500 or better in conference play in eight straight seasons. Expect another big year from senior KELLIE WHITE in the circle as she went 8-5 with a 1.96 ERA and 78 strikeouts in 82.0 innings last season.
Third place is resurgent UC Davis with 52 points. The Aggies were 16-12 last season which included a 10-3 mark in their home stadium. Last year's strong start came on the heels of a record-setting 2019 campaign that saw the team post a DI era best 39-14 record. Senior ISABELLA LEON will have a big hand in the Aggie hopes for a successful 2021 season, coming off a season that saw her bat .362 with 7 home runs, 25 RBI and 24 runs scored.
Hawai'i was selected to finish fourth as the Rainbow Wahine collected 44 points. UH was just 9-15 a year ago but gave plenty of opposing pitchers whiplash as it ranked second in the Big West in home runs (28) and tied for third in extra-base hits (56). Senior Angelique "Cheeks" Ramos did her share of damage a year ago, hitting .301 with three homers and 17 RBI while striking out just eight times in 73 at-bats.
Cal Poly was right behind UH with 43 points, coming off a season that saw them go 10-13 overall. The Mustang win total was just one shy of their total from the 2019 season, virtually guaranteeing a bounce back season before the halt due to the pandemic. Senior HAILEY MARTIN will look to build off her truncated career season, posting a .339 batting average, 21 hits, 12 RBI and slugging .484.
UC Riverside was next in the order with 37 points. The Highlanders were 13-12 a year ago including a league-best 11-4 record at home. They also had a league-high five game win streak that was halted when the season was interrupted. Junior Nadia Witt was putting together an all-league type season before the interruption, batting .389 with 28 hits, 14 runs scored, 14 RBI and four stolen bases.
CSUN claimed a first-place vote among their 34 points for the next stop in the poll. The Matadors were rolling before the halt to the 2020 campaign, going a league-best 16-8 which included a 13-3 record in neutral site games. The team will look to continue the momentum with a new voice in the dugout as Charlotte Morgan takes over at the reins. Morgan will rely on a bevy of key returnees such as senior KENEDEE JAMERSON, a two-way player who went 8-2 with a 2.70 ERA in 77.2 innings in the circle while batting .269 at the dish.
UC Santa Barbara comes up next in the order with 27 points. The Gauchos were 12-16 a year ago but that had already surpassed their 2019 win total (10). UCSB will rely on one of the top offensive players in the league in senior SAMMY FABIAN. Last year Fabian batted .374 with 34 hits, posted a .406 on-base percentage and recorded a 13-game hit streak.
Newcomer UC San Diego rounds out the poll with 26 points. The Tritons final season in Division II saw them go 21-8 with a 12-8 record in the CCAA. The team has been a force of late as it won 141 games from 2016-19, all of which were 30-win seasons including a 36 or more wins in three of those four campaigns. Senior Robyn Wampler leads the way in the circle for UCSD, going 11-3 a year ago with a 1.13 ERA and 69 strikeouts in 93.1 innings of work.
Big West softball fans will have to wait another year for the league's other newcomer as CSU Bakersfield opted out of the 2021 season due to the coronavirus pandemic.