Jan. 25, 2011
COLLEGE STATION, Texas - The Texas A&M softball team was ranked No. 21 in the USA Today/National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Div. I Preseason Poll, released Tuesday.
Defending national champion UCLA tops the list of 25 teams, followed by second-ranked Arizona and No. 3 Georgia.
The Aggies, who were picked fourth in the Big 12 Preseason Poll, will play one of the toughest schedules in the nation again this season. The team will meet several 2010 Women's College World Series (WCWS) participants in 2011, including 2009 WCWS champion No. 10 Washington as well as Georgia, seventh-ranked Missouri and Arizona.
The team will kick off the season at the Kajikawa Classic, facing three ranked teams including No. 14 Oregon on opening day. On day two of the tournament A&M will take on No. 16 BYU and Arizona back-to-back. At the Cathedral City Classic the Aggies will take on Washington before challenging Georgia and No. 22 Ohio State in a double header.
The Big 12 had five teams represented in the Aggies, Missouri, No. 9 Oklahoma, No. 15 Texas and No. 23 Oklahoma State. Nebraska and Texas Tech also received votes.
The 2011 squad welcomes eight newcomers and returns seven letterwinners from last year's 44-16 team. Returning starters include All-Big 12 selections senior Rhiannon Kliesing and sophomore Mel Dumezich and All-American sophomore Meagan May.
Texas A&M softball opens the regular season at the Kajikawa Classic in Tempe, Ariz., Feb. 11 against Cal State Fullerton. The team returns home to host the Aggie Classic Feb. 18.
USA Today/NFCA Div. I Top 25 Preseason Poll
1 UCLA (27)
2 Arizona (3)Â
3 Georgia
4 TennesseeÂ
5 FloridaÂ
6 AlabamaÂ
7 MissouriÂ
8 HawaiiÂ
9 OklahomaÂ
10 WashingtonÂ
11 MichiganÂ
12 CaliforniaÂ
13 Arizona StateÂ
14 OregonÂ
15 TexasÂ
16 BYUÂ
17 Louisiana-LafayetteÂ
18 Georgia TechÂ
19 LSUÂ
20 StanfordÂ
21 Texas A&MÂ
22 Ohio StateÂ
23 Oklahoma StateÂ
24 IllinoisÂ
25 North Carolina