REBELS PICKED THIRD IN MOUNTAIN WEST PRESEASON VOTE
UNLV Softball begins season at home Friday, Feb. 10
UNLV was ranked third in the 2023 Mountain West Softball Predicted Order of Finish, as voted by the league’s nine head coaches, the conference announced Thursday.
UNLV returns 14 players, including six of its eight starting position players, from last year’s team that won 43 games, set 14 program records and finished as the runner-up at the National Invitational Softball Championship.
The Rebels enter 2023 with a stacked lineup. Denise Armendariz, Janyssa Martin, Ariana Martinez, Sofia Morales and April Visser are five of the league’s top-10 returning sluggers.
Boise State was tabbed as the preseason favorite to win the regular season. Boise State tallied 61 points and five of the nine first-place votes. San Diego State was a tight second place with 60 points and the remaining four first-place votes.
UNLV was voted third with 48 points, Colorado State in fourth with 36 points, Fresno State, Nevada, and San José State all tied for fifth with 25 points each, New Mexico in eighth with 23 points and to round out the MW preseason poll was Utah State in ninth with 21 points.
The season begins Friday, Feb. 10, with No.7 Arkansas, No. 36 Baylor, Southern Utah and Weber State in the field for the UNLV Rebel Kickoff at Eller Media Stadium.
The 2023 softball season begins on Thursday, Feb. 9 and concludes with the MW championship on May 11-13 at San Diego State Softball Stadium.
| 2023 MW Softball Preseason Coaches’ Poll | ||
| Rank | Team (first-place votes) | Points |
| 1. | Boise State (5) | 61 |
| 2. | San Diego State (4) | 60 |
| 3. | UNLV | 48 |
| 4. | Colorado State | 36 |
| 5. | Fresno State | 25 |
| Nevada | 25 | |
| Boise State | 25 | |
| 8. | New Mexico | 23 |
| 9. | Utah State | 21 |