Jan. 14, 2004

WACO, Texas - For the second straight year, Baylor's softball team begins the season listed among teams also receiving votes in the national rankings. The Lady Bears are the ninth team out of the ESPN.com/USA Softball Preseason Top 25, released Wednesday.

Baylor began the 2003 season as the second team out of the NFCA Preseason Coaches Poll and eventually cracked the rankings at No. 25 for two weeks in March. The Lady Bears have been ranked nationally during each of the past three seasons.

Defending national champion UCLA opens the season at No. 1 in the ESPN.com/USA Softball rankings, garnering 18 of 19 first-place votes. Baylor plays UCLA Feb. 20 at the Palm Springs Classic in California. 2002 national champion and second-ranked California received the 19th first-place vote.

Arizona, Oklahoma and Washington round out the top five, followed by Alabama, Michigan, Nebraska, Louisiana-Lafayette and Georgia. Texas is ranked 11th, Texas A&M is 17th and Oklahoma State is 22nd, giving the Big 12 Conference five teams in the Top 25. Baylor is the next-highest ranked Big 12 school.

Including UCLA and the five Big 12 schools, nine 2004 Baylor opponents are in the ESPN.com/USA Softball preseason rankings. Baylor plays No. 16 Cal State Fullerton Feb. 21 at the Palm Springs Classic and No. 18 Iowa March 4 at the Speedline Classic in Clearwater, Fla., and the Lady Bears host No. 25 Tennessee Feb. 27-29 for the Compass Bank Invitational.

Other 2004 Baylor opponents Pacific, Texas State and South Florida also received votes.

Baylor's 2004 season opens Feb. 6-8 with the Getterman Classic. The Lady Bears host Auburn, North Texas, Northwestern State, Pacific and Wichita State for the three-day, double round-robin event.

2004 ESPN.com/USA SOFTBALL PRESEASON TOP 25
                2003    FINAL 2003    SCHOOL (No. 1 votes)    POINTS  RECORD  RANKING1.  UCLA (18)       474 54-7    12.  California (1)      442 49-20   23.  Arizona     436 56-7    34.  Oklahoma        412 47-14   65.  Washington      367 47-16-1 56.  Alabama     358 49-21   77.  Michigan        277 44-16   138.  Nebraska        276 39-17   169.  Louisiana-Lafayette 268 47-11   810. Georgia     258 57-14   1411. Texas           254 49-9    412. Stanford        236 41-26   1813. Oregon      220 37-19   1114. DePaul      219 48-7-1  1015. Louisiana State 199 50-18   1716. Cal State Fullerton 180 41-15   917. Texas A&M       168 38-22   1518. Iowa            166 44-15   2019. Arizona State       145 32-25   2220. Florida State       139 46-11   2121. Fresno State        127 36-22   NR22. Oklahoma State      96  39-15   1223. Oregon State        93  36-31   2524. Michigan State      62  40-19   1925. Tennessee       59  45-25   NR

Others receiving votes: South Carolina (47), Florida (37), Southern Illinois (35), Pacific (26), Northwestern (16), Massachusetts (15), Ohio State (14), Minnesota (9), BAYLOR (8), Texas State (8), Marshall (8), Notre Dame (4), South Florida (2), and Florida Atlantic (1).