Jan. 20, 2015

WACO, Texas - After Baylor's 2014 Women's College World Series Semifinals appearance, the 2015 Bears were voted 10th by the USA Today/NFCA in Tuesday's Preseason Top 25 poll.

The Bears finished the season at 49-16 in 2014 with a 13-5 record to finish second in the Big 12. Baylor went 2-2 in the WCWS to reach the semifinals for the second time and finished the season with a No. 4 national ranking in both the NFCA and USA Softball polls.

The Bears will return 10 letterwinners from a year ago and six starters along with right-handed pitcher Heather Stearns. The core of the lineup that set team offensive records in 2014 for home runs (74) and on-base percentage (.382) is back with holes to fill at first base and catcher.

All eight teams that earned trips to the WCWS in 2014 begin the 2015 season ranked in the top 10, with Florida taking 20 of the 29 first-place votes for the top ranking. The defending Big 12 champion, Oklahoma, begins the season ranked No. 4 and had one first-place vote.

Baylor and OU marked the only Big 12 teams to being the season ranked, but Texas received votes in the poll.

The Bears are slated to face seven teams that began the season ranked in the preseason top 25 including No. 2 Oregon Feb. 19 and Feb. 21 at Getterman Stadium in Waco.

USA Today/NFCA Division I Softball Poll - Preseason -- Jan. 20, 2015

Rank    Team            2014 Record Totals  Final 2014 Rank1   Florida (20)    55-12           699 12   Oregon (8)  56-9-1          694 33   Alabama         53-13           648 24   Oklahoma (1)    51-13           613 55   Florida State   55-9            571 76   Kentucky    50-19           565 67   UCLA            52-8            536 98   Michigan    47-15           493 109   Louisiana   49-10-1         481 810  Baylor          49-16           475 411  Washington  37-15           411 1112  Georgia         49-15           402 1313  Tennessee   46-12           401 1214  Arizona         44-16           356 1415  Minnesota   44-12           298 1516  Arizona State   46-12-1         267 1717  Missouri    43-18           240 1918  Nebraska    44-18           213 1619  LSU         38-24           205 2120  Auburn          42-19-1         204 2021  Tulsa           53-9            175 1822  Notre Dame  41-13           133 2223  South Alabama   42-14           100 2324  Texas A&M   37-22           71  2525  DePaul          44-11           40  24

Others Receiving Votes: James Madison (36), USC Upstate (21), Wisconsin (16), UCF (16), Texas (16), North Carolina State (14), Northwestern (3), Stanford (3), South Carolina (3), Hofstra (2), Louisville (2), Cal State Fullerton (2).