Jan. 20, 2009
SAN DIEGO - The San Diego State softball team is ranked No. 25 in the USA Today/NFCA preseason poll, released Tuesday. It is the first time in program history that the Aztecs have been ranked in a national preseason poll.
SDSU picked up 99 points, nine behind 24th-ranked Long Beach State (108 pts) and 31 ahead of Massachusetts. Florida, which set an NCAA record with 70 victories in 2008, is the preseason favorite with 728 points, including 14 first-place votes. Defending national champion Arizona State followed with 691 points (15 first-place votes), followed by Alabama (678 pts.), UCLA (638 pts.) and Texas A&M (553 pts.).
Last season, San Diego State set school records in 11 categories, including wins (44) and win percentage (.721, 44-17), en route to its fourth MWC title and fourth NCAA appearance. The Aztecs were ranked in each of the final 13 weeks of the poll, including a high of 21st.
SDSU returns eight starters, including senior All-American Erin Floros and all-conference selections Monica Alnes, Brittany Knudsen and Lindsey Marquez.
San Diego State begins its season Feb. 6-8 at the Stacy Winsberg Memorial Tournament at UCLA when it takes on Indiana, Cal Poly, Pacific and the host Bruins.
2009 Preseason USA Today/NFCA Division I Poll
(Only top 10 listed and SDSU's 2009 opponents; first-place votes in parenthesis)
1. Florida (14) - 728
2. Arizona State (15) - 691
3. Alabama - 678
4. UCLA - 638
5. Texas A&M - 553
6. Louisiana-Lafayette (1) - 544
7. Arizona - 542
8. Michigan - 527
9. Northwestern - 511
10. Oklahoma - 498
11. Stanford - 456
16. Missouri - 270
21. Washington - 193
24. Long Beach State - 108
25. San Diego State - 99