Softball season is right around the corner and Arizona scored on the Big 12 preseason team and poll, which was voted on by the league coaches.
Arizona was selected to finish third behind Oklahoma State and Texas Tech. Oklahoma State defeated Arizona in the Super Regionals last year to play in the Womenβs College World Series and Texas Tech secured the services of former Stanford pitcher NiJaree Canady in the offseason. She is one of the best pitchers in the country.
OSU, which is ranked No. 4 by ESPN, received 99 votes, Texas Tech, ranked No. 10, had 90 votes with two first-place votes, and No. 17 Arizona had 81.
Former Pac-12 foes Utah was selected sixth and ASU was in eighth.
Arizona utility Regan Shockey stays alert in the outfield during the Wildcatsβ matchup with North Texas at Hillenbrand Stadium on Feb. 10, 2024.
Arizonaβs Dakota Kennedy and Regan Shockey both made the preseason team and were unanimous selections. Only three other players got all the votes: Canady, BYUβs Lily Owens and Baylorβs Shaylon Govan.
Kennedy and Shockey also made the Top 100 lists for Softball American and D1 Softball.
The Wildcats season-opening series, the Candrea Classic, starts at 5 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 6, with a doubleheader against Michigan State. That is followed by a doubleheader starting at 5 p.m. on Friday with another Pac-12 foe, Washington, and Western Michigan. Saturday is a single game against No. 11 Alabama at 5 p.m. And the weekend wraps up on Sunday, with another matchup against Washington at 11:30 a.m.
