IRVINE, Calif. (Feb. 7, 2022) -- Cal State Fullerton is the favorite to win The Big West softball title according to an annual preseason poll of the league’s 10 head coaches Monday.

The Titans received five first-place votes for a total of 77 points. They finished second in the conference standings last season with a 21-3 league record and was 38-15 overall. Cal State Fullerton brings back Hannah Becerra who led the conference in home runs (14) and ranked second in RBI (47) en route to picking up All-Big West First Team, Big West Freshman of the Year, All-West Region First Team and NFCA All-America Third Team accolades.
 
Defending champion Long Beach State was picked to finish second with 74 points, receiving four first-place votes. The Beach won The Big West title last season with a 22-2 conference record and went 38-15 overall. LBSU returns reigning Big West Freshman Pitcher of the Year Shannon Haddad (8-0, 2.05 ERA, 65.0 IP in 2021) and All-West Region Third Team member Naomi Hernandez (.383 BA, 32 R in 2021).
 
UC Davis came in third with 55 points. The Aggies bring back a trio of All-West Region players in Kenedi Brown (13-11, 2.69 ERA, 174.2 IP in 2021), Sarah Starks (.291 BA, 10 HR, 34 RBI in 2021) and Sommer Kisling (.346 BA, 27 R in 2021).
 
Hawai’i and UC San Diego are tied for fourth with 49 points each. Cal Poly received the last remaining first-place vote for a total of 42 points. UC Santa Barbara (41), CSUN (29), UC Riverside (25) and CSU Bakersfield (9) rounded out the rest of the poll.
 
The 2022 softball season will start on Thursday, Feb. 10 with UC Riverside, UC Santa Barbara, and CSUN in action. The rest of the conference will also open their respective seasons this weekend.
 

Rank	School	Points (1st-place votes)
1.	Cal State Fullerton	77 (5)
2.	Long Beach State	74 (4)
3.	UC Davis	55
T-4.	Hawai'i	49
T-4.	UC San Diego	49
6.	Cal Poly	42 (1)
7.	UC Santa Barbara	41
8.	CSUN	29
9.	UC Riverside	25
10.	CSU Bakersfield	9