University of Connecticut Athletics
Softball Voted to Finish second in BIG EAST Preseason Coaches' Poll
1/16/2024 5:16:00 PM | Softball
NEW YORK – The UConn softball team has been picked to finish second in the BIG EAST preseason coaches' poll. The Huskies received three first place votes from BIG EAST coaches totaling 58 points, one point behind Villanova.
UConn is coming off back to back BIG EAST regular season titles for the first time since the 1996 & 1997 seasons. The Huskies return most of their roster from a season ago including the reigning BIG EAST Freshman of the Year, Grace Jenkins. The California native led the Huskies in runs batted in (44) and extra base hits (22) in her impressive rookie campaign.
All-Conference first teamers Payton Kinney and Lexi Hastings also return to the Huskies roster in 2024. Kinney ranked at the top of the conference, holding opposing batters to a .166 batting average while leading the Huskies pitching staff with a 2.99 era. Hastings earned a unanimous first team selection after finishing with a .410 batting average, scoring 51 runs, and stealing 40 bases in her sophomore season.
UConn will open their season on February 8th at the Black & Gold Classic hosted by UCF.
2024 BIG EAST Softball Preseason Poll
|
Villanova (4) 59 |
|
UConn (3) 58 |
|
Seton Hall (2) 53 |
|
DePaul 40 |
|
Butler 37 |
|
Creighton 27 |
|
St. John's 21 |
|
Georgetown 15 |
|
Providence 14 |
(#) indicates number of first place votes
Follow us on our social media pages for updates.
Twitter – UConnSoftball
Instagram – UConnSoftball
Facebook – UConn Softball
