SAN MATEO, Calif. – Defending West Coast Conference Softball champion BYU has been selected as the favorite to capture the 2022 WCC crown in the Conference’s annual preseason coaches poll.
The coaches poll and preseason All-WCC team were selected solely by a vote of the conference's six head coaches. Coaches cannot vote for their own teams and student-athletes.
BYU claimed five of the six first place votes to total 25 points. LMU collected the other first place vote and was picked second with 21 points. San Diego (14 points), Santa Clara (12 points), Saint Mary’s (10 points) and Pacific (8 points) rounded out the preseason poll.
The Cougars claimed their seventh consecutive WCC crown in 2021, as the WCC title was decided by the Ken Pomeroy Conference Adjusted Winning Percentage without a full league schedule completed. BYU earned the 2021 championship with a conference adjusted winning percentage of .898, besting second-place LMU (.666). BYU played 12 of a possible 15 games in conference play last season, finishing 11-1 in those contests. LMU completed the conference slate 10-5.
All 15 members of the WCC Preseason Team earned postseason recognition in 2021. Nine members of this year’s WCC Preseason Team were All-WCC First Team selections last year, including Alyssa Daniell (LMU), Megan Dedrick (LMU), Martha Epenesa (BYU), Andrea Gonzalez (LMU), Autumn Moffat-Korth (BYU), HannahJo Mills (BYU), Indya Smith (Saint Mary’s), Ashley Trierweiler (Santa Clara) and Violet Zavodnik (BYU).
BYU led the way with six members on the 2022 WCC Preseason Team. LMU was second with four members selected.
The softball season gets underway this week, with all six teams in action. The WCC season begins on Friday, April 8 and runs through Saturday, May 14.
2022 WCC PRESEASON COACHES POLL
| School |
Points |
- BYU (5)
|
25 |
- LMU (1)
|
21 |
- San Diego
|
14 |
- Santa Clara
|
12 |
- Saint Mary’s
|
10 |
- Pacific
|
8 |
2022 ALL-WCC PRESEASON SOFTBALL TEAM - POSITION PLAYERS
| Name |
Institution |
Position |
| Huntyr Ava |
BYU |
1B |
| Emma Bickford |
Santa Clara |
INF |
| Marissa Chavez |
BYU |
SS |
| Alyssa Daniell |
LMU |
1B/OF |
| Morgan DeBord |
LMU |
OF |
| Megan Dedrick |
LMU |
SS |
| Martha Epenesa |
BYU |
3B |
| Andrea Gonzalez |
LMU |
INF |
| HannahJo Mills |
BYU |
OF |
| Indya Smith |
Saint Mary’s |
OF |
| Ashley Trierweiler |
Santa Clara |
OF/INF |
| Violet Zavodnik |
BYU |
OF |
2022 ALL-WCC PRESEASON SOFTBALL TEAM - PITCHERS
| Name |
Institution |
| McKenna Braegelmann |
San Diego |
| Sofia Earle |
Saint Mary’s |
| Autumn Moffat-Korth |
BYU |