COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo.-- After winning the 2005 regular-season and tournament championships, the No. 25 BYU Cougars have been selected to win the Mountain West Conference softball regular-season title in a vote by the league coaches released today. BYU and UNLV each received three first place votes.
BYU, which also won both the regular-season and tournament crown in 2001, collected 23 points to capture the top spot in the poll. 2005 Mountain West Conference regular-season and tournament runner-up UNLV tallied 22 points to place second in the poll, followed by San Diego State (16 points), Colorado State (14 points), Utah (eight points) and New Mexico (seven points).
BYU head coach Gordon Eakin said the conference will be tight this season.
"Although we can't pay too much attention to pre-season polls, it's nice to have other people recognize you," Eakin said. "There are any one of four teams that could realistically win the conference this year."
The Cougars, coming off a 45-14-0 overall record (16-2-0 MWC) last season, return 13 letterwinners this season, including all-American and all-MWC performer Ianeta Le'i (senior, infielder). The Rebels, (44-19-0, 17-3-0 MWC) who were the runners-up in the conference regular-season, as well the tournament, will be led by 2005 Mountain West Freshman of the Year Marissa Nichols (freshman, outfielder), and 2005 Coach of the Year, Lonni Alameda.
The 2006 season starts on Thursday, Feb. 9, with BYU, San Diego State and UNLV all seeing tournament action. Colorado State also opens its season against New Mexico State. The 2006 conference season opens Friday, Apr. 7, and the 2006 Mountain West Softball Championship will be held at the Eller Media Softball Stadium on the campus of UNLV, May 11-13.