January 25, 2006
The defending Big 12 Champion Texas A&M softball team earned a No. 6 ranking in the ESPN.com/USA Softball Collegiate Top 25 preseason poll and was listed No. 9 in the USA Today/NFCA Top 25 preseason poll, released this week.
Both preseason polls have defending national champion Michigan picked to finish first followed by UCLA at No. 2, Tennessee at No. 3, Texas at No. 4 and Arizona holding down the No. 5 spot.
The Big 12 placed six teams in the top 25 on both polls. Joining the Aggies and Longhorns in the national rankings include the Baylor Bears who were listed No. 10 in the ESPN.com/USA Softball poll and No. 11 in the USA Today/NFCA poll, the Oklahoma Sooners (No. 13 and No. 12), the Missouri Tigers (No. 18 and No. 23) and the Nebraska Cornhuskers (No. 22 and No. 21).
The rankings were the best A&M has seen in the past four years. In 2003 they were listed as No. 24 by ESPN.com/USA Softball. The 2004 season saw them ranked a little higher as they came in as No. 18 by USA Today/NFCA Top 25 and No. 17 by ESPN.com/USA Softball. In 2005, the USA Today/NFCA Top 25 poll listed A&M as No. 23.
The Aggies will face 11 teams ranked in one of the two polls in at least 19 games this season. Ranked opponents appearing on the Aggies' spring schedule include UCLA, Texas, Arizona, Baylor, Oregon State, Oklahoma, Fresno State, Missouri, Nebraska, Oregon and BYU.
Texas A&M will open the season at the Kajikawa Classic in Tempe, Ariz. on Friday, Feb. 10. The Aggies will meet Fresno State at 3 p.m. (CST) Friday, followed by a game against Nevada. The Aggies' home opener is scheduled for Wednesday, Feb. 15 with a doubleheader against Texas-San Antonio. First pitch is set for 3 p.m. (CST).
Season and individual game tickets are available now by calling 1-888-99-AGGIE.
USA Today/NFCA Coaches Poll 1. Michigan 714 65-7 2. UCLA 704 40-20 3. Tennessee 642 67-15 4. Texas 625 49-13 5. Arizona 607 45-12 6. Alabama 542 63-15 7. Stanford 462 43-16 8. Cal 459 52-15 9. Texas A&M 445 47-10 10. Georgia 411 55-15 11. Baylor 386 51-14 12. Oklahoma 371 54-17 13. Washington 361 35-22 14. DePaul 356 45-21 15. Oregon State351 43-16 16. Northwestern279 42-18 17. Auburn 231 50-17 18. Louisiana-Lafayette 182 51-10 19. Florida 149 41-23 20. Fresno St. 130 43-12 21. Nebraska 127 36-23 22. Oregon 118 36-25 23. Missouri 112 44-15 24. Iowa 105 49-14 25. Georgia Tech104 50-13