PROVIDENCE, R.I. – For the second straight year, USF has been selected as the league favorite according to the American Athletic Conference Softball Preseason Coaches’ Poll. The 2020 poll was comprised of votes from each of the conference’s eight softball head coaches.
The American sent three teams to the 2019 NCAA Division I Softball Championship, as USF (NCAA Tallahassee Regional), Houston (NCAA Austin Regional) and Tulsa (NCAA Stillwater Regional) each took part in last season’s tournament. USF and Tulsa are tied for the most NCAA Regional appearances in conference history, as each institution has reached the postseason four times since The American was officially formed prior to the 2014 campaign (Tulsa joined The American in 2015).
USF received six first-place votes for 48 total points to lead the 2020 preseason poll. The Bulls tied Louisville (2014) and Tulsa (2018) for the best showing in the history of the preseason rankings in terms of first-place votes and total points. USF claimed the 2019 American Athletic Conference regular-season title with a 17-4 league mark (41-19) and advanced to its 15th NCAA Championship. Junior pitcher and National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) All-America Second-Team selection Georgina Corrick repeated as the American Pitcher of the Year in 2019 after shining with a 25-6 record, 1.14 ERA and 260 strikeouts in her second collegiate season. Ken Eriksen, whose coaching staff claimed American Coaching Staff of the Year in 2016, 2018 and 2019, is on leave preparing to lead the United States Women’s National Team at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. Jessica Moore has assumed the role as the USF head coach this season to go along with her duties as the Bulls pitching coach.
Wichita State was slotted as the runner-up in the preseason poll for the second straight season, garnering 39 voting points and one first-place vote. The Shockers logged a 32-24 record in 2019, which featured a 12-9 mark in The American. Expected to be back in the fold in 2020 for Wichita State and head coach Kristi Bredbenner is senior catcher Madison Perrigan (.331, 15 2B, 11 HR, 43 RBI and 1.116 OPS), an NFCA All-Central Region Third-Team choice and all-conference first team selection last season, and senior infielder and fellow all-conference first-teamer Ryleigh Buck (.298, 9 HR, 36 RBI, .528 SLG, 33 R).
Three-time American tournament champion Tulsa checked in third with 34 voting points, a season removed from a 37-20 mark (16-5 in conference) and NCAA Regional appearance at Oklahoma State. New head coach Crissy Strimple welcomes back sophomore pitcher and 2019 NFCA All-Central Region Second-Teamer Chenise Delce (15-6, 1.63 ERA, 124 K/.282, 22 RBI) this season on a roster that features 12 underclassmen.
UCF, the 2015 American tournament champion, was fourth in the 2020 preseason rankings with 32 points and the final first-place vote. Houston was fifth with 31 points, East Carolina sixth with 19 points, Memphis seventh with 12 points and UConn eighth with nine points.
The 2020 softball season is set to begin on Thursday, Feb. 6, with conference play kicking off on Friday, March 20. The 2020 American Athletic Conference Softball Championship will be contested on May 7-9 at the UCF Softball Stadium in Orlando, Florida.
2020 American Athletic Conference Preseason Softball Coaches’ Poll
| Team (First-Place Votes) |
Pts. |
| 1. USF (6) |
48 |
| 2. Wichita State (1) |
39 |
| 3. Tulsa |
34 |
| 4. UCF (1) |
32 |
| 5. Houston |
31 |
| 6. East Carolina |
19 |
| 7. Memphis |
12 |
| 8. UConn |
9 |