In a very close vote among three teams at the top of the CCAA Softball Preseason Poll,
Sonoma State has been chosen as the preseason favorites.
The Seawolves received five first-place votes and 91 points to edge out
Cal State San Marcos and Cal State San Bernardino as the coaches’ pick to earn the 2024 CCAA regular-season title. The Cougars placed second in the poll with 88 points, and the Coyotes were third with 83 points. Each received two first-place votes.
| 2024 Softball Preseason Poll |
| Sonoma State (5) |
91 |
| Cal State San Marcos (2) |
88 |
| Cal State San Bernardino (2) |
83 |
| Cal State Dominguez Hills |
68 |
| Cal State Monterey Bay (1) |
66 |
| Chico State |
41 |
| San Francisco State |
37 |
| Cal State East Bay |
34 |
| Stanislaus State |
22 |
| Cal Poly Humboldt |
20 |
| First-place votes in paranthesis |
Cal State Dominguez Hills finished fourth in the poll with 68 points.
Cal State Monterey Bay received the remaining first-place vote to place fifth.
Chico State (41),
San Francisco State (37),
Cal State East Bay (34),
Stanislaus State (22), and
Cal Poly Humboldt (20) completed the poll.
Sonoma State won the 2023 CCAA regular-season championship with a 23-8 record (35-15 overall). SSU was ranked among the nation’s top 25 throughout the season after opening the year at 13-1. The Seawolves led the league with a .305 batting average and placed second with a 2.01 earned run average. They will return five All-CCAA selections, including 2023 CCAA Player of the Year Anna Zoia-Buescher, who finished 12th in Div. II with a .466 batting average.
Cal State San Marcos went 20-12 in the CCAA and 33-21 overall last season. After placing third in the regular season, the Cougars found their stride in the regional, collecting five straight wins to earn the program's first NCAA West Regional Championship. They will bring back five All-CCAA hitters to a team that was second in the conference in slugging (.394) and third in batting average (.283). First baseman Paige Donnelly has accounted for 95 RBI in her first two years with the team.
Cal State San Bernardino earned nine more CCAA wins in 2023 compared to 2022 to go from a tie for seventh to second place in the standings (23-12). The Coyotes collected the No. 2 seed in the CCAA Tournament and the No. 5 seed in the NCAA West Regional. They will bring back three All-CCAA first and second-team selections, including the conference's wins (19) and shutout (7) leader Samantha Vargas.
Cal State Dominguez Hills captured the program's first CCAA Tournament Championship on Nayah Pola's walk-off home run and finished the year with a CCAA-best 36 wins. The Toros lost only five games at home all season (17-5) and have not lost back-to-back home games since March of 2022. Last season, they led the conference in home runs (31) and earned run average (1.89). CSUDH will have three All-CCAA hitters back and the conference's home run leader, Kaylee Hull (11).
Cal State Monterey Bay went 28-25 in 2023 and 19-17 in the CCAA to earn a .528 winning percentage in each category. CSUMB paced the conference with 78 doubles, nine more than second place. Ally Alcayaga (14) and Abby Alcayaga (10) were two of five Otters with double-digit two-baggers last season—both return along with 12 more letterwinners.
Chico State is coming off a fantastic showing at the CCAA Tournament. The Wildcats came in as the No. 6 seed and played their way into the championship game with three straight wins. They will look to build off that experience as they come into the year, with three of the four all-tournament selections returning from that team (Tayler Berens, Katelyn Oldwin, and Mia Santos).
San Francisco State finished one game back of Chico State from getting the No. 6 seed in the 2023 CCAA Tournament. The Gators went 27-23 in 2023 (15-19 CCAA), including a stellar 9-1 record in neutral site games. They went 5-0 at the Tournament of Champions and 4-1 at the Concordia Kickoff. SF State finished sixth in Div. II last season with 64 sacrifice bunts.
Cal State East Bay was the national leader with 36 double plays turned, eight more than any other team. The Pioneers finished the season 24-31 and 13-23 in the CCAA. They will bring back first team All-CCAA utility player (non-pitcher) Annelise Garcia.
Stanislaus State will be led this season by the 2023 CCAA Newcomer of the Year, Mikaela Ferreira. The shortstop was second in the CCAA in batting average (.403) and was the toughest batter in the conference to strike out with just one whiff in every 32.2 at-bats.
Cal Poly Humboldt boasted one of the conference's top offenses last season. The Lumberjacks had the conference's second-best batting average (.284), leading the league with a .368 on-base percentage. They were second in runs per game (4.47).
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The 2024 season will begin on Friday, Feb. 2. The teams will try to earn one of the six bids to the CCAA Softball Tournament starting Wednesday, May 1, in San Marcos.
For more information, click here.
| 2024 CCAA Softball Preseason Watchlist |
| Jill Albayati |
3B |
Cal State San Marcos |
| Tayler Berens |
OF |
Chico State |
| Savannah Coyle |
P |
Cal State San Marcos |
| Alex Davis |
OF |
Cal State Dominguez Hills |
| Kai DeLeon |
2B |
San Francisco State |
| Paige Donnelly |
1B |
Cal State San Marcos |
| Mikaela Ferreira |
SS |
Stanislaus State |
| Annelise Garcia |
UT/NP |
Cal State East Bay |
| Hayden Greene |
OF |
Cal State San Bernardino |
| Giana Hays |
2B |
Sonoma State |
| Charlie Johnson |
P |
Sonoma State |
| Gianna Lombardi |
C |
Cal State San Marcos |
| Alani Nguyen |
DP |
Cal State Dominguez Hills |
| Rylee Nishimoto |
OF |
Sonoma State |
| Jay Ross |
OF |
Cal State Dominguez Hills |
| Nichole Sarra |
P |
Sonoma State |
| Alyssa Smokey |
DP |
Cal Poly Humboldt |
| Tereise Tosi |
1B |
Cal State San Bernardino |
| Samantha Vargas |
P |
Cal State San Bernardino |
| Madison Waymire |
UT/NP |
Cal State San Marcos |
| Anna Zoia-Buescher |
OF |
Sonoma State |