Baylor softball was picked to finish second in the 2018 Big 12 Coaches Preseason Poll, announced Thursday by the conference office.
Oklahoma was the unanimous No. 1 pick in the poll, topping the ranks for the fifth-straight season.
Texas falls in at No. 3 in the poll, swapping places after BU was picked third behind Texas in 2017, with the Lady Bears going on to top the Longhorns for the fourth-straight year in the final standings.
Oklahoma State checks in at No. 4 after a strong 2017 season, finishing third in the final standings with a 12-6 record in Big 12 play.
Kansas (No. 5), Iowa State (No. 6), and Texas Tech (No. 7) rounds out the bottom half of the poll leading into the 2018 season.
The Lady Bears, fresh off the program’s fourth trip to the Women’s College World Series, enter the 2018 campaign with a strong core of returners, including seven position player starters, and a wave of newcomers, headlined by three SEC transfers and five freshmen.
The Baylor pitching staff leads with junior Gia Rodoni, coming off an NCAA tournament performance that included back-to-back no-hitters, and Regan Green, a junior transfer from Mississippi State.
Baylor kicks off its 2018 campaign with a three-game home series against Northwestern State on Feb. 9-10 at Getterman Stadium.
2018 Big 12 Softball Preseason Poll
Rank
School
Points
1.
Oklahoma (6)
36
2.
Baylor (1)
31
3.
Texas
24
4.
Oklahoma State
23
5.
Kansas
12
6.
Iowa State
11
7.
Texas Tech
10
