SAN MATEO, Calif. – BYU softball was named the favorite to win the West Coast Conference title for the 2021 season in the annual preseason coaches poll while also grabbing four spots in the All-WCC Preseason Team.
The Cougars have claimed the last six WCC league titles and boasted four of the six first-place votes and 24 points total in the poll.
The coaches poll and preseason All-WCC team were selected solely by a vote of the conference's six head coaches. Coaches cannot vote for their own teams and student-athletes.
The 2020 softball season was cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic and no WCC champion was crowned. BYU has won every softball title since the WCC debuted the sport in 2014. The Cougars have also qualified for the last 15 NCAA tournaments.
As well, four BYU softball players claimed spots on the All-WCC Preseason Team, the highest of all schools. Returning after her senior season was cut short because of COVID-19, Rylee Jensen-McFarland grabbed one of BYU's spots. The outfielder was the WCC Freshman of the Year in 2017, WCC Player of the Year in 2018 and has been named to two NFCA All-Pacific Region teams.
Senior starting pitcher Autumn Moffat-Korth also took a spot in the preseason All-WCC team, while junior Marissa Chavez and sophomore Huntyr Ava closed out the honors for BYU.
2021 WCC Softball Preseason Coaches Poll | |
Team (First Place Votes) | Points |
BYU (4) | 24 |
LMU (1) | 20 |
Pacific (1) | 19 |
San Diego | 13 |
Saint Mary's (CA) | 7 |
Santa Clara | 7 |
2021 All-WCC Preseason Softball Team – Position Players | |||
Name | Institution | Yr. | Pos. |
BYU | So. | 1B | |
Sophia Bjerk | San Diego | Jr. | 3B |
Alex Casas | Saint Mary's | So. | C/UTIL |
Marissa Chavez | BYU | Jr. | SS |
Maddie Gallagher | Saint Mary's | Sr. | DP |
Andrea Gonzalez | LMU | Jr. | 3B |
Molly Grumbo | LMU | Jr. | C |
Rylee Jensen-McFarland | BYU | Sr. | OF |
Hanna Krosky | Pacific | Sr. | 1B |
Jessica Mabrey | Pacific | Jr. | 3B, OF, C |
Ashley Trierweiler | Santa Clara | So. | OF |
2021 All-WCC Preseason Softball Team – Pitchers | ||
Name | Institution | Yr. |
Autumn Moffat-Korth | BYU | Sr. |
Myka Sutherlin | Pacific | Jr. |
Linnay Wilson | LMU | Jr. |