No sport is expected to be tougher from top to bottom in the CCAA standings in 2023 than softball. Last season, the conference earned five of the eight spots in the NCAA West Regional and placed a team in the NCAA Championship game, and that was all after an off-year.
The conference is expected to be even better in 2023. Nineteen of the 30 All-CCAA selections return, and the CCAA schedule is again set up to prepare each team for postseason competition. Cal State San Marcos earned the nod as the preseason favorites in this highly competitive conference, garnering 96 points and six of the 10 first-place votes in the coaches' poll. Cal State Dominguez Hills, which is coming off an appearance in the NCAA title game, was picked to finish second with 86 points and three first-place votes. Sonoma State edged out Chico State for third place, 76-74, earning the final first-place vote. Cal State Monterey Bay rounded out the top 5 with 67 points.
| 2023 CCAA Softball Preseason Poll |
| Cal State San Marcos (6) |
96 |
| Cal State Dominguez Hills (3) |
86 |
| Sonoma State (1) |
76 |
| Chico State |
74 |
| Cal State Monterey Bay |
67 |
| Cal State East Bay |
41 |
| San Francisco State |
41 |
| Cal State San Bernardino |
34 |
| Stanislaus State |
23 |
| Cal Poly Humboldt |
12 |
| first-place votes in parenthesis |
Cal State San Marcos went 45-14 last season and won the CCAA regular-season championship with a 28-8 record. The Cougars were incredibly consistent throughout the year, losing three games in a row only once all season and putting separate winning streaks of 13 and 14 games. The Cougars return a conference-best four All-CCAA selections, including 2022 NFCA Regional Player of the Year Paige Donnelly (.405, 7 HR, 58 RBI). On the mound, they have two returning all-conference players in CCAA Freshman of the Year Savannah Coyle (19-4, 1.44 ERA/.384, .450 ob%) and Jayline Sloss (16-4, 1.93 ERA). Leadoff hitter Bianca Gutierrez finished fourth in the CCAA in batting average (.397) and was the toughest person in the league to strike out. This is the first time the Cougars have been selected first in the preseason coaches' poll.
No team has more postseason experience than
Cal State Dominguez Hills. After running through the NCAA Regional 1, they defeated CSUSM in the West Region Championship series, coming back from a game behind to earn a trip to nationals. The Toros will return four of their top five hitters and the top two pitchers to a team that won four games in the NCAA Division II Championships. Ashley Wies (21-9, 2.50 ERA) and Alyssa Olague (23-14, 2.54 ERA) accounted for all but 13 innings pitched for CSUDH last season, and the Toros are expected to rely heavily on the tandem again. Raquel Jaime, who set the NCAA Championships hit record and was named the Most Outstanding Player despite being on the losing team after setting the championship's record for doubles, is the Toros' top returner in the lineup. Last season she hit .392 with 14 doubles and 34 RBI while recording a .462 on-base percentage. Jaime, Wies, Kianna Abellera and Maiya Lopez each earned NCAA all-tournament honors for helping the Toros reach the championship series.
Sonoma State was the CCAA Tournament Champions for the second consecutive season. They swept through the four games, scoring a tournament-record 44 runs to claim the conference's automatic berth to the NCAA Regional. The Seawolves will return their entire lineup, which matched CSUSM for the league lead with four returning all-conference players. CCAA Tournament MVP Jordyn Martinez (.350, 9 HR, 51 RBI) is back behind the plate along with second baseman Giana Hays (.361, 26 xbh, 38 RBI), shortstop Cassidy Romano (.271, 26 RBI, 17 SB) and outfielder Anna Zoia-Buescher (.396, 33 runs, .443 ob%). The Seawolves lost their top two starting pitchers to graduation but will return experience in the rotation with Nichole Sarra (6-5, 4.49 ERA) and Bailee Reed (6-3, 3.14).
The
Chico State Wildcats went 37-17 (26-10 CCAA) in 2022, remaining in the hunt for the conference title until the season's final week. They lost their three All-CCAA selections to graduation, including Pitcher of the Year Brooke Larsen (19-6, 1.72 ERA, 239 K's), but will return 11 experienced letterwinners. Grace Stover (.335, 16 xbh, 39 runs) is the top returning hitter for the Wildcats. They will be seeking their seventh consecutive appearance in both the CCAA Tournament and NCAA West Regional.
Cal State Monterey Bay made a run to the CCAA championship game in 2022 and will be looking to earn back-to-back trips to the NCAA West Regional for the first time since 2014-15. The Otters will bring back seven regulars in their lineup, including the Alcayaga twins, Ally (.363, 9 HR, 35 RBI) and Abby (.308, 11 xbh, .390 ob%). CSUMB will have to replace the innings of first-team All-CCAA selection Jensen Main (24-11, 1.76 ERA), but they bring back experience with Cassie Gasper (7-8, 2.02 ERA) and Kassidy Stetler (6-4, 4.16 ERA) to fill the role.
Cal State East Bay and San Francisco State tied for sixth in the preseason poll with 41 points. Cal State San Bernardino finished eighth with 34 points, and Stanislaus State was ninth with 23 points. The poll finished with Cal Poly Humboldt (12 points).
Cal State East Bay secured the final spot in last season's CCAA Tournament after finishing the season at 24-28 (15-21 CCAA). It was the program's first-ever appearance in the tournament. Sarah Duran (.350, 14 xbh, .430 ob%) is the only returning All-CCAA selection for the Pioneers.
San Francisco State featured one of the top offenses in the conference last season but will have a new look in its lineup as it will need to replace CCAA Player of the Year Brylynn Vallejos (.408, 64 runs, 37 SB). Shortstop Kai Deleon is back at shortstop after hitting .368 as a freshman.
Cal State San Bernardino will bring back seven of its top eight hitters, including All-CCAA third baseman Tereise Tosi (.404, 9 HR, 35 RBI).
Stanislaus State will bring back All-CCAA selection Sarah Warden (.316, 9 xbh).
Cal Poly Humboldt returns three all-conference selections in Michaela Harris (.382, 53 runs, 48 SB), Izzy Starr (.395, 7 HR, 41 RBI) and Vanessa Saltos (.283, 10 HR, 33 RBI).
The 2023 season begins Thursday, Feb. 2, when Cal Poly Humboldt travels to Texas to face UT-Tyler at 3:30 p.m. Cal State East Bay will also face Concordia the same day at 4 p.m. Almost every team is in action for a weekend series or tournament starting on Friday, Feb. 3.
All 10 teams will be vying to earn one of the six spots in the CCAA Softball Tournament at Carson on May 3-6.
To learn more about the CCAA Softball Tournament, click here.
| 2023 CCAA Softball Preseason Watchlist |
| Haylee Clay |
Sr. |
DP |
Cal State Monterey Bay |
| Savannah Coyle |
So. |
UT/P |
Cal State San Marcos |
| Jessica Cross |
So. |
OF |
Cal State Monterey Bay |
| Kai Deleon |
So. |
SS |
San Francisco State |
| Paige Donnelly |
So. |
1B |
Cal State San Marcos |
| Sarah Duran |
Sr. |
OF |
Cal State East Bay |
| Bianca Gutierrez |
So. |
OF |
Cal State San Marcos |
| Micaela Harris |
Sr. |
C |
Cal Poly Humboldt |
| Giana Hays |
Jr. |
2B |
Sonoma State |
| Raquel Jaime |
Sr. |
UT |
Cal State Dominguez Hills |
| Jordyn Martinez |
Sr. |
C |
Sonoma State |
| Alyssa Olague |
Sr. |
P |
Cal State Dominguez Hills |
| Cassidy Romano |
Sr. |
SS |
Sonoma State |
| Vanessa Saltos |
So. |
SS |
Cal Poly Humboldt |
| Jayline Sloss |
So. |
P |
Cal State San Marcos |
| Izzy Starr |
Jr. |
3B |
Cal Poly Humboldt |
| Tereise Tosi |
So. |
3B |
Cal State San Bernardino |
| Sarah Warden |
So. |
DP |
Stanislaus State |
| Anna Zoia-Buescher |
Sr. |
OF |
Sonoma State |