Softball Ranked No. 16 In Preseason Poll – Ohio State Buckeyes
1/30/2003 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Jan. 30, 2003
COLUMBUS, Ohio-The Ohio State softball team is ranked No. 16 in the preseason USA Today/National Fastpitch Coaches Association Division I Top 25 poll released Wednesday. The ranking is the highest preseason ranking in program history. The Buckeyes are scheduled to face nine teams in the Top 25 including No. 3 and defending NCAA champion California Golden Bears March 1.
The Buckeyes garnered their highest overall ranking in program history last season, finishing the season ranked No. 13 after a trip to the NCAA Regional tournament, its first since 1990. Last season saw the Buckeyes win 55 games, the most wins in the history of the program, and set 21 team and 15 individual records.
The Buckeyes open the 2003 season against Florida Atlantic at 1:30 p.m., Friday Feb. 7 at the Florida International Tournament in Miami, Fla.
Rk. Team 2002 Points Final Record Ranking 2002 1. UCLA (18) 55-9 543 5 2 Arizona (2) 55-12 515 2 3. California (2)# 56-19 435 1 t4. Michigan# 50-11 403 7 t4. Nebraska 50-14 403 6 6. Washington# 46-18 395 14 7. LSU 56-11 373 9 8. Oklahoma 49-16 369 8 9. Florida State 55-20 344 4 10. Cal State Fullerton# 53-13 341 10 11. DePaul# 50-11 336 11 12. Texas 50-13 335 16 13. Arizona State# 46-20 321 3 14. Stanford 44-20 315 15 15. Fresno State 50-20 241 17 16. Ohio State 55-14 216 13 t17.Notre Dame 44-16 160 19 t17.Georgia 59-17 160 22 19. Georgia Tech 52-18 152 18 20. South Carolina 46-20 123 12 21. Pacific# 43-17 92 20 22. Alabama# 46-19 87 NR 23. Oregon State# 40-25 80 24 24. Texas A&M 40-18 78 21 25. Massachusetts 53-13 68 23
Others receiving votes: Florida Atlantic# (63), Baylor (60), Iowa# (52), Louisiana-Lafayette (29), Virginia Tech (3). #=2003 opponents
