SAN BRUNO, Calif. – Defending West Coast Conference champion Santa Clara was voted as the league's preseason favorite in the 2026 annual conference preseason coaches poll.
The coaches poll and preseason all-conference team were selected solely by a vote of the conference's seven head coaches. Coaches cannot vote for their own teams and student-athletes.
The Broncos amassed 36 points and six first-place votes. Saint Mary's, the previous year's preseason favorite, finished second in the poll with 31 points and one first-place vote. Oregon State came in third (22 points) with LMU right behind the Beavers in fourth with 21 points.
Santa Clara and Seattle U boasted the most players on the preseason team with four each and both teams earned three among the position players and one pitcher. Saint Mary's garnered three players on the preseason team, including two of the four pitchers, while Pacific and LMU each featured two representatives on the 16-member team. Normally a 15-member team, this year's preseason team featured four pitchers due to a tie in voting.
Six members of the preseason team were also named to the 2025 all-conference preseason team - Sam Buckley (Saint Mary's), Cairah Curran (Santa Clara), Hazyl Gray (Santa Clara), Izzy Jamgotchian (LMU), Olivia Silvestre (Pacific) and Odhi Vasquez (Saint Mary's). This marks the third straight appearance on the preseason team for Gray and Jamgotchian.
First pitch for the 2026 season is set for Monday, Feb. 2 with Seattle U playing North Dakota in Honolulu.
2026 WEST COAST CONFERENCE PRESEASON COACHES POLL
| School |
Points |
| 1. Santa Clara (6) |
36 |
| 2. Saint Mary's (1) |
31 |
| 3. Oregon State |
22 |
| 4. LMU |
21 |
| 5. Seattle U |
19 |
| 6. San Diego |
11 |
| 7. Pacific |
7 |
2026 WEST COAST CONFERENCE PRESEASON SOFTBALL TEAM - POSITION PLAYERS
| Name |
Institution |
| Amanda Bricker |
Pacific |
| Sam Buckley |
Saint Mary's |
| Taryn Clements |
Santa Clara |
| Cairah Curran |
Santa Clara |
| Taylor Fitch |
Seattle U |
| Hazyl Gray |
Santa Clara |
| Izzy Jamgotchian |
LMU |
| Justine Lambert |
LMU |
| Jada Lewis |
Oregon State |
| Mikee Morris |
Seattle U |
| Olivia Silvestre |
Pacific |
| Karen Spadafora |
Seattle U |
2026 WEST COAST CONFERENCE PRESEASON SOFTBALL TEAM - PITCHERS
| Name |
Institution |
| Cari Ferguson |
Santa Clara |
| Mia Nishikawa |
Saint Mary's |
| Berkley Vance |
Seattle U |
| Odhi Vasquez |
Saint Mary's |