Fresno State favored for Mountain West softball title three-peat
Fresno State is favored to win a third straight Mountain West softball championship, named the narrow choice Tuesday in a vote of the conference’s nine coaches.
The Bulldogs earned four first-place votes and 59 total points to edge San Diego State (three firsts, 57 points) and San Jose State (two firsts, 55 points).
Fresno State, under first-year coach Linda Garza, returns five starters and 13 letterwinners in all after going 42-12-1 overall and 22-1 in the Mountain West. The returning cast includes Mountain West Player of the Year Kierra Willis (.345, 11 HRs, 45 RBIs) along with first-team All-Conference honoree Lindsey Willmon (.363 12 HRs, 48 RBIs).
San Diego State returns seven starters and 15 letterwinners, according to a conference news release. San Jose State has four starters and 15 letterwinners back from last season.
The 2017 softball season gets under way Feb. 9. Fresno State opens a day later, playing Indiana and Oregon at Arizona State’s Kajikawa Classic in Tempe.
Fresno State will launch its campaign as a Top 25 team, according to the USA TODAY/National Fastpitch Coaches Association preseason rankings.
The Bulldogs were ranked No. 24 in the NFCA poll released Tuesday. Defending champion Oklahoma is No. 1, earning all 32 first-place votes from the panel of NCAA Division I coaches.
Mountain West Preseason Softball Poll
Predicted order of finish for the 2017 Mountain West softball season, based on voting by the conference’s nine coaches. with first-place votes in parentheses and total points.
1. | Fresno State (4) | 59 |
2. | San Diego State (3) | 57 |
3. | San Jose State (2) | 55 |
4. | Utah State | 33 |
5. | Nevada | 32 |
6. | Colorado State | 27 |
UNLV | 27 | |
8. | New Mexico | 26 |
9. | Boise State | 8 |
2017 Fresno State softball schedule
- Feb. 10 Indiana, 8 a.m. in Tempe, Ariz.@
- Feb. 10 Oregon, 10:45 a.m. in Tempe, Ariz.@
- Feb. 11 Purdue, 11:15 a.m. in Tempe, Ariz.@
- Feb. 11 San Diego, 2 p.m. in Tempe, Ariz.@
- Feb. 12 Stanford, 10:45 a.m. in Tempe, Ariz.@
- Feb. 16 Mississippi State, 8 a.m. in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico#
- Feb. 16 Florida Gulf Coast, 11 a.m. in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico#
- Feb. 17 Florida Gulf Coast, 2 p.m. in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico#
- Feb. 18 Cal State Fullerton, 9:45 a.m. in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico#
- Feb. 19 Texas Tech, 7 a.m. in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico#
- Feb. 23 Cal Poly, 7 p.m. at Margie Wright Diamond%
- Feb. 24 Minnesota, 5:30 p.m. at Margie Wright Diamond%
- Feb. 25 UC Davis, 5:30 p.m. at Margie Wright Diamond%
- Feb. 25 Idaho State, 8 p.m. at Margie Wright Diamond%
- Feb. 26 Cal Poly, 11:30 a.m. at Margie Wright Diamond%
- Feb. 26 UC Davis, 2:30 p.m. at Margie Wright Diamond%
- March 2 Long Beach State, 12:30 p.m. in Fullerton^
- March 2 Iowa, 3 p.m. in Fullerton^
- March 3 Indiana, 8 p.m. in Fullerton^
- March 4 Northwestern, 9:30 a.m. in Fullerton^
- March 4 Washington, 12:30 p.m. in Fullerton^
- March 10 Brigham Young 2:30 p.m. at Margie Wright Diamond+
- March 10 Oregon State, 5:30 p.m. at Margie Wright Diamond+
- March 11 Brigham Young, 3:30 p.m. at Margie Wright Diamond+
- March 11 Oregon State, 6 p.m. at Margie Wright Diamond+
- March 12 Sacramento State, 11:30 a.m. at Margie Wright Diamond+
- March 17 at San Diego State, 6 p.m.*
- March 18 at San Diego State, 6 p.m.*
- March 19 at San Diego State, noon*
- March 21 Cal State Bakersfield, 6 p.m. at Margie Wright Diamond
- March 24 vs. Boise State, 6 p.m. at Margie Wright Diamond*
- March 25 vs. Boise State, 6 p.m. at Margie Wright Diamond*
- March 26 vs. Boise State, noon at Margie Wright Diamond*
- March 29 vs. Pacific, 6 p.m. at Margie Wright Diamond
- March 31 vs. Nevada, 6 p.m. at Margie Wright Diamond*
- April 1 vs. Nevada, 6 p.m. at Margie Wright Diamond*
- April 2 vs. Nevada, noon at Margie Wright Diamond*
- April 7 at Utah State, 2 p.m.*
- April 8 at Utah State, 2 p.m.*
- April 9 at Utah State, 11 a.m.*
- April 13 at Santa Clara, 6 p.m.
- April 14 at Cal, 4 p.m.
- April 15 at Cal, 1 p.m.
- April 19 at UC Santa Barbara, 3 p.m.
- April 21 vs. San Jose State, 6 p.m. at Margie Wright Diamond*
- April 22 vs. San Jose State, 6 p.m. at Margie Wright Diamond*
- April 23 vs. San Jose State, noon at Margie Wright Diamond*
- April 28 at UNLV, 6 p.m.*
- April 29 at UNLV, 4 p.m.*
- April 30 at UNLV, noon*
- May 5 vs. New Mexico, 6 p.m. at Margie Wright Diamond*
- May 6 vs. New Mexico, 6 p.m. at Margie Wright Diamond*
- May 7 vs. New Mexico, noon at Margie Wright Diamond*
- May 11 at Colorado State, 3 p.m.*
- May 12 at Colorado State, 3 p.m.*
- May 13 at Colorado State, 11 a.m.*
@ASU KAJIKAWA CLASSIC
#PUERTO VALLARTA COLLEGE CHALLENGE
%BULLDOG CLASSIC
^CSUF JUDI GARMAN CLASSIC
+FRESNO STATE INVITATIONAL
*MOUNTAIN WEST CONFERENCE
This story was originally published January 31, 2017 at 10:28 AM with the headline "Fresno State favored for Mountain West softball title three-peat."