NEW YORK – The DePaul Blue Demons were picked preseason favorites in a tightly contested BIG EAST Softball Preseason Coaches’ Poll, as announced on Tuesday. In the lead-off spot, DePaul received 58 points with three first place votes. The reigning BIG EAST Champions, Villanova, land in second place with 57 points and a league-best four first place votes. UConn rounds out the top three with 56 points and two first place votes.
Butler claimed the fourth spot with 37 points, followed by Creighton in fifth (34). Providence improved from last year’s preseason poll to take sixth (30), while Seton Hall held steady at seventh (28). Georgetown slides in at eighth with 14 points and St. John’s rounds out the group in ninth (10).
BIG EAST play begins on March 10, concluding at the 2023 BIG EAST Championship Presented by Jeep May 10-13 in Storrs, CT.
DePaul made its 16
th consecutive BIG EAST Championship appearance last season, advancing to the semifinal round with a 6-2 victory over top-seeded UConn. The Blue Demons will likely be led by senior Brooke Johnson who earned First Team All-BIG EAST accolades in 2022 after making the second team in 2021. Last season, the NFCA Second Team All-Region first baseman ranked third in the BIG EAST offensively, batting .389 with 13 homeruns. Notable offseason movement included the acquisition of right-handed pitchers Bella Nigey and Brenna Smith. A two-time Iowa state champion, Nigey concluded her high school career with 385 strikeouts and .80 career ERA. Smith arrives in Chicago by way of Purdue where she compiled a 10-12 record in 141.1 innings pitched.
Villanova, the two-time defending BIG EAST Champions, will compete for the three-peat in 2023. The Wildcats did not allow a run at the 2022 BIG EAST Championship, defeating No. 2 Butler 2-0, No. 4 DePaul 1-0 (8), and No. 1 UConn 3-0 for the title. On the year, Villanova owned a 32-24 record with a 16-7 conference mark. While the Wildcats will need to replace two-time BIG EAST Pitcher of the Year Paige Rauch, Villanova’s offense returns two of its biggest bats. Senior third baseman Chloe Smith led the Wildcats with a .326 average in 2022, earning Second Team All-BIG EAST accolades. She is joined in the lineup by dual-threat sophomore Kelsey White. As a rookie, White batted a team-best .286 at the Championship, earning BIG EAST Championship All-Tournament honors.
UConn appeared in its second consecutive championship game last season, earning the No. 1 seed and regular season title. During the offseason the 2022 BIG EAST Coaching Staff of the Year announced the addition of pitching coach Molly Rathbun whose accolades include four Division III All-America honors. The Huskies’ youthful roster returns All-BIG EAST second teamer Lexi Hastings and Team Canada catcher, Lauren Benson.
Butler set a new standard of excellence last season earning the No. 2 seed at the BIG EAST Championship following a three-year stretch at No. 4. The Bulldogs will need to replace the production of unanimous 2022 BIG EAST Pitcher of the Year Alyssa Graves, fellow All-BIG EAST first teamer Lauren Fey, and All-BIG EAST second teamer Bri Avery. This year, head coach Scott Hall welcomed seven true freshmen and graduate transfer pitcher Sydney Cammon. Additionally, Hall announced the addition of Butler alums Mallory Winters and Daniel Shipley to his staff.
Creighton returns unanimous 2022 BIG EAST Player of the Year Kailey Wilson. An NFCA All-Region Second Team selection, Wilson led the BIG EAST with a .436 batting average amassing 51 hits, 32 RBI, and 11 home runs in 117 at-bats. The Bluejays welcome first-year head coach Krista Wood whose resume includes three Summit League Coach of the Year nods in eight years at the helm of South Dakota State (238-164).
Providence looks to build upon a 2022 season which saw the Friars’ best 20-game start since 2006. All-BIG EAST second team honoree Jacque Harrington returns for her junior year after leading the Providence offense with a team-best .359 batting average. Classmate Tori Grifone will return to the circle after registering a Friar-high 2.56 ERA in 2022.
Seton Hall sophomore Taylor Hill will expect to build on a standout rookie campaign which saw the New Jersey Native named 2022 BIG EAST Rookie of the Year. The NFCA All-Region third teamer set a new league record in doubles (12) while leading the BIG EAST in hits (35) and batting .449. Under the direction of head coach Angie Churchill, the Pirates wrapped the 2022 campaign with a 20-23 overall record and 9-14 mark in conference play.
Georgetown logged a 5-14 conference record in its first full competitive season since 2019. Head coach Pat Conlan’s squad boasts significant experience in graduate students Mae Forshey, Cameron Kondo, and Brooke Plonka. Forshey and Kondo, ranked among the Hoyas’ top five batters in 2022, combing for 78 hits in 263 total at-bats. A three-year captain at Dartmouth, Plonka joins the Hoyas as a graduate transfer. She holds the Big Green program record for most strikeouts in a game (17).
St. John’s concluded the 2022 campaign with a 12-35 overall record and 5-18 mark in BIG EAST play. The Red Storm will look to sophomore utility player London Jarrard on offense. As a freshman, Jarrard earned First Team All-BIG EAST accolades, batting .400 to rank 10
th among the nation’s freshmen. Pitchers Hannah Mearns and Carolina Zamudio return for their junior and sophomore campaigns, respectively. Last season, Mearns led the Red Storm with a 4.06 ERA.
2023 BIG EAST Preseason Coaches’ Poll
(first-place votes)
- DePaul (3) – 58
- Villanova (4) – 57
- UConn (2) – 56
- Butler – 37
- Creighton – 34
- Providence – 30
- Seton Hall – 28
- Georgetown – 14
- St. John’s -- 10