DENVER – For the fourth straight year, the New Mexico State softball team has been selected as favorites to win the WAC, as announced by the league on Wednesday. NM State and Grand Canyon were selected to win the conference regular season in a vote by the league's six head coaches.

"It's always an honor to have our peers vote us in as one of the preseason favorites," head coach Kathy Rodolph said. "We need to stay focused on our grind for that prediction to prove accurate. There is no doubt our team is being fueled by what we see as unfinished business from 2016."

During their 2016 campaign,  the Aggies captured the WAC regular season title, finishing conference play with a 14-1 record. Rodolph won Coach of the Year for the second straight year and Kelsey Horton was named the conference Freshman of the Year.  NM State finished the season with a 38-21 overall record.

Horton was announced as the leagues Preseason Player of the Year. In 2016, the sophomore started at first base in all 15 WAC games and tied for the league lead in runs scored with 16. During conference play, Horton cultivated a .600 slugging percentage and a .482 on-base percentage while also having a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage.

"Kelsey had a stellar freshman campaign and she is working hard to stay focused on her details for this year," Rodolph said.

Victoria Castro, Kayla Green, and Rachel Rodriguez join Horton on the Preseason All-WAC team. The Aggies led the league with four players named to the preseason team.

"This is a team that strives to be unselfish and hardworking," Rodolph said. "They are capable of some special moments if they stay true to those goals."

The Aggies open the season with a three game series against UTSA. The first game is set for Feb. 11 at 2 p.m.
 
2017 WAC Softball Preseason Coaches' Poll
Rank Teams (1st-Place Votes) Points
T-1. Grand Canyon (3) 23
T-1. NM State (3) 23
T-3. CSU Bakersfield 13
T-3. Seattle U 13
5. UMKC 11
6. Utah Valley 7
 
2017 Softball Preseason All-WAC Team
Paige Bouska, Seattle U, Sr., UT
Victoria Castro, NM State, So., OF
Julea Cavazos, CSU Bakersfield, Jr., OF
Kayla Green, NM State, So., P
Kelsey Horton, NM State, So., 1B
Kendra Leach, UMKC, Jr., OF
Bailey Moore, Utah Valley, Sr., P
Taylor Nowlin, Grand Canyon, Sr., P
Rachel Rodriguez, NM State, Jr., INF
Bri Sims, UMKC, So., INF
Shea Smith, Grand Canyon, So., SS
Brittney Vansway, Utah Valley, Sr., INF
Camree Wartman, Grand Canyon, Sr., 2B
 
Preseason Player of the Year: Kelsey Horton, NM State
Preseason Pitcher of the Year: Taylor Nowlin, Grand Canyon