On Tuesday, ESPN.com/USA Softball’s preseason poll ranked the 49er softball team 20th in the nation.  This follows USA Today/NFCA’s poll, released last week, which gave LBSU the #24 spot.

Long Beach finished ahead of North Carolina, Nevada, Georgia, Massachusetts, and Virginia Tech in the new poll with 120 points.  Florida, with 18 first-place votes and 497 total points, got the poll’s top spot.  The Gators were followed by Alabama and defending national champion Arizona State with 466 and 432 points respectively.  UCLA and Michigan rounded out the top five.

The 49ers were also picked to repeat as Big West Conference champs by the league’s head coaches.  They’ll start that campaign at the Cathedral City Classic February 6-8, where they’ll open the tournament against Georgia (#22/23).

As always, check back here at LBPOSTSports.com for in-depth coverage of the 49er softball team as the season gets underway.