Utah softball: Utes picked to finish fifth in preseason Pac-12 poll

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The Utah softball team is picked to finish fifth this upcoming season in a Pac-12 preseason coaches poll.

The Utes, who went 36-19 last season and earned an at-large berth in the NCAA Tournament, were earlier ranked No. 23 nationally in the preseason ESPN coaches poll.

Reigning Pac-12 Champion and Women's College World Series participant Oregon was picked to win the Pac-12, receiving eight of the nine first-place votes. UCLA, also a Women's College World Series participant in 2015, was selected second in the poll after receiving the remaining first-place vote.

Arizona earned 49 votes, two fewer than UCLA, and was slotted third while Washington was tabbed fourth. The Utes were picked fifth, followed by California, Arizona State, Oregon State and Stanford. Last season, the Pac-12 sent seven teams to the NCAA Tournament.

Utah's Amy Hogue, the Pac-12's 2015 Coach of the Year, is entering her ninth season leading the Ute softball program. She returns a team that features seven players that receieved Pac-12 postseason recognition, including NFCA All-America Hannah Flippen and all-region selections Katie Donovan and Kristen Stewart. —

Pac-12 softball poll

1. Oregon (8), 64

2. UCLA (1), 51

3. Arizona, 49

4. Washington, 42

5. Utah, 36

6. California, 32

7. Arizona State, 27

8. Oregon State, 15

9. Stanford, 8

*First-place votes in parenthesis