Jan. 23, 2008

Columbia, Mo. -USA Today/The National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) released its annual preseason poll and awarded the Missouri softball team a No. 25 ranking. 2007 Women's College World Series (WCWS) Champions Arizona received top-billing, with Big 12 opponent Texas A&M ranked No. 2 and Arizona State standing at third.

Missouri last received a preseason ranking at the start of the 2006 campaign and began the year at No. 18 in the ESPN.com/USA Softball Collegiate Top 25 poll.

Last season, Missouri started the season unranked but finished 19th in the nation after advancing to the program's 11th NCAA Regional Tournament. Finishing the year with a 40-24 record, the Tigers met with seven of the eight 2007 WCWS competitors in one of the most challenging schedules in program history.

Five Big 12 schools rank among the top-25 programs in the nation with Texas A&M, Oklahoma and Baylor all ranked among the top-10. The Oklahoma Sooners stand at No. 5, with Baylor at No. 8 and Texas just ahead of Missouri at No. 22. Missouri is the only Big 12 north school to earn a top-25 ranking. Nebraska and Texas Tech received votes, but were not ranked.

The Tigers are set to open their season against No. 16 Virginia Tech at the Florida International University (FIU) Invitational Feb. 8. First pitch is slated for 2 p.m. (CT) in Miami, Fla.

USA Today/NFCA Division I Top 25 Preseason Poll
1. Arizona
2. Texas A&M
3. Arizona State
4. Alabama
5. Oklahoma
6. Tennessee
7. Northwestern
8. Baylor
9. LSU
10. DePaul
11. Washington
12. Michigan
13. Florida
14. UCLA
15. Hawaii
16. Virginia Tech
17. Georgia Tech
18. Oregon State
19. Stanford
20. Oregon
21. Cal State Fullerton
22. Texas
23. Ohio State
24. Louisiana-Lafayette
25. Missouri