The defending national championship Alabama softball team has secured the No. 1 spot in the preseason ESPN.com/USA Softball Collegiate Top 25 Poll, the Amateur Softball Association (ASA) of America and USA Softball announced Tuesday. The Crimson Tide claimed 13 of 20 first-place votes in the poll, following the program’s first NCAA Women’s College World Series title.
At the 2012 NCAA WCWS in Oklahoma City, the Tide, led by Most Outstanding Player Jackie Traina (Naples, Fla.), overcame two rain delays and an early three-run deficit to earn the Southeastern Conference (SEC) its first National Championship title. Coming off their runner-up finish, the Oklahoma Sooners stole seven No. 1 votes in the poll. The No. 2 ranking matches Oklahoma’s highest preseason ranking in school history.
Six of the schools in the preseason Top 8 participated in the 2012 WCWS, with seventh-ranked Missouri and eighth-ranked Georgia being the exceptions. Missouri saw their season come to an end at the hands of now-No. 12 LSU, while Georgia fell to now-No. 5 Tennessee at the Knoxville Super Regional in 2012. California starts the season at No. 3 with Arizona State, Oregon, Texas and South Florida claiming 4, 6, 9 and 10, respectively. No. 10 South Florida finished the 2012 season at No. 8 following their program’s first WCWS appearance, while LSU, who ended the 2012 season at No. 6, comes in at No. 12 this week.
The Pacific 12 Conference (Pac-12) and SEC lead the way with seven teams ranked in the preseason Top 25, while the Big 12 boasts four squads in the first poll. The Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) and Big East have two teams representing their conferences, while the Big 10 Conference, Big West Conference, Colonial Athletic Association and Sun Belt Conference each had one team among the Top 25.
Of the teams ranked in the preseason poll, four squads had athletes on the 2012 USA Softball Women’s National Team. Alabama is represented by Traina, Keilani Ricketts (San Jose, Calif.) and Jessica Shults (Valencia, Calif.) play for Oklahoma, Lauren Gibson (Pasadena, Md.) plays for Tennessee and Chelsea Thomas (Pleasantville, Iowa) plays for Missouri.
Three Tide Players Selected to SEC Softball Preseason Team
The Alabama softball team was represented by three players on the Southeastern Conference Preseason Team, the league office announced Tuesday. Senior Kayla Braud and juniors Jackie Traina and Kaila Hunt earned the honors for the Crimson Tide.
Braud, a two-time NFCA All-American and three-time All-SEC performer, will look to etch her name in Alabama’s record books. The senior enters the season ranked second in batting average (.427), on-base percentage (.507) and stolen bases (144).
Traina, a two-time All-American and the reigning SEC Pitcher of the Year, led the country with 42 wins in 2012. Traina set single-season school records with 361 strikeouts along with her 42 wins. Hunt also put together a stellar sophomore campaign, leading the league with 21 home runs and 77 runs-batted-in while earning All-American honors for the first time in her career. The 21 homers and 77 RBIs rank second in the University records for a single season.
Alabama will open its 2013 season at the UNI Dome Tournament in Cedar Falls, Iowa. Alabama will face Illinois in the opener on Friday, Feb. 8, with the first pitch slated for 3 p.m.
