Kentucky softball team ranked No. 18 by coaches
The University of Kentucky softball team is ranked No. 18 in the nation in the USA Today/National Fastpitch Coaches Association preseason poll announced Tuesday.
This marks the third straight season that Kentucky will begin the season ranked in the top 25 under the direction of ninth-year head coach Rachel Lawson.
The Southeastern Conference continued its recent dominance of national polling, taking four of the top five slots in the NFCA Top 25 with No. 1 Florida, No. 3 LSU, No. 4 Auburn and No. 5 Alabama.
Kentucky will start the season Feb. 12 at the Kajikawa Classic in Tempe, Ariz., against No. 24 Notre Dame before also facing No. 6 Oregon, No. 22 Arizona State and Utah, who received 22 votes.
Kentucky will have seven games against the top six teams in the country this season – with three games each against No. 3 LSU (April 9-11), No. 4 Auburn (April 1-3) and No. 6 Oregon (Feb. 13).
2016 USA Today/NFCA Coaches Preseason Poll
First-place votes in parentheses
1. Florida (26)
2. Michigan (2)
3. LSU (2)
4. Auburn (1)
5. Alabama (1)
6. Oregon
7. UCLA
8. Tennessee
9. Oklahoma
10. Florida State
11. Louisiana-Lafayette
12. Georgia
13. Arizona
14. Minnesota
15. Missouri
16. Baylor
17. UCF
18. Kentucky
19. James Madison
20. Washington
21. California
22. Arizona State
23. North Carolina State
24. Notre Dame
25. South Alabama
Others receiving votes: Texas A&M (38), North Dakota State (32), Utah (22), Hofstra (14), Nebraska (13), Texas (12), Northwestern (10), Ohio State (6), North Carolina (6), Florida Atlantic (5), Mississippi State (5), USC Upstate (4), UAB (4),Western Kentucky (4), Fresno State (3), Kansas (2), Louisville (2), Pittsburgh (2).
This story was originally published January 26, 2016 at 1:35 PM with the headline "Kentucky softball team ranked No. 18 by coaches."