Oregon State Picked to Tie for Fifth in Pac-12 Preseason Poll
February 05, 2019 | Softball
The Beavers will open 2019 at the Kajikawa Classic on Friday
SAN FRANCISCO (Pac-12/Oregon State) – Heading into the 2019 campaign, the Oregon State University softball program was picked to finish tied for fifth in the Pac-12 Preseason Coaches' Poll in a release from the conference office on Tuesday.
Laura Berg returns for her seventh season at the helm of the program. Under the direction of Berg, the Beavers have reached the NCAA Tournament on four occasions, including three-consecutive trips to the NCAA Regionals in the last three years.
Oregon State returns 13 letterwinners from 2018, six of whom are from the field along with three from the pitching rotation.
Leading the charge for the Beavers in 2019 will be Jessica Garcia (Hughson, Calif.) and Shelby Weeks (Tracy, Calif.), who have combined for seven spots in Oregon State's season and career record book. Garcia is currently tied for eighth in most career triples and sixth for career stolen bases while returning for the 2019 as the player with the most multi-hit games (14) and most hits last season (55). Weeks finished the 2018 taking the top spot in stolen bases for a single season (22) and sits in fourth for most career stolen bases (43).
Also returning to the field for the Beavers in 2019 will be red-senior Lovie Lopez (Santa Fe Springs, Calif.), sophomore Missy Nunes (Livermore, Calif.) and sophomore Camryn Ybarra (Mission Viejo, Calif.). Lopez redshirted the 2018 season after earning All-Pac-12 Third Team in 2016 and Pac-12 All-Freshman Honorable Mention in 2015. Nunes returns for her second year after receiving All-Freshman Team honors in 2018 and leading the returners in runs batted in (20) and total bases (66). Ybarra was a 2018 Pac-12 All-Freshman and All-Defensive player.
In the circle, senior Meehra Nelson (Simi Valley, Calif.) and sophomore Mariah Mazon (Tulare, Calif.) will look to anchor the defense as the duo combined for 70 appearances in 2018. Nelson made the All-Pac-12 Third Team and All-Freshman Team in 2016 and Mazon repeated these awards in 2018 for each of their first years in Corvallis.
The Beavers will be on the road this Friday, February 8, to open the 2019 season at the Kajikawa Classic in Tempe, Ariz., for a five-game slate.
2019 Pac-12 Softball Coaches' Poll (first-place votes)
1. UCLA (5) - 61
2. Washington (4) - 60
3. Arizona - 50
4. Arizona State - 43
T5. California - 31
T5. Oregon State - 31
7. Utah - 19
8. Stanford - 17
9. Oregon - 12
For more information on the Oregon State softball team, visit OSUBeavers.com or follow the team @BeaverSoftball on Twitter and Instagram.
OUR MISSION
Oregon State Athletics strives to Build Excellent Authentic Visionary Student-Athletes (Go BEAVS).
Laura Berg returns for her seventh season at the helm of the program. Under the direction of Berg, the Beavers have reached the NCAA Tournament on four occasions, including three-consecutive trips to the NCAA Regionals in the last three years.
Oregon State returns 13 letterwinners from 2018, six of whom are from the field along with three from the pitching rotation.
Leading the charge for the Beavers in 2019 will be Jessica Garcia (Hughson, Calif.) and Shelby Weeks (Tracy, Calif.), who have combined for seven spots in Oregon State's season and career record book. Garcia is currently tied for eighth in most career triples and sixth for career stolen bases while returning for the 2019 as the player with the most multi-hit games (14) and most hits last season (55). Weeks finished the 2018 taking the top spot in stolen bases for a single season (22) and sits in fourth for most career stolen bases (43).
Also returning to the field for the Beavers in 2019 will be red-senior Lovie Lopez (Santa Fe Springs, Calif.), sophomore Missy Nunes (Livermore, Calif.) and sophomore Camryn Ybarra (Mission Viejo, Calif.). Lopez redshirted the 2018 season after earning All-Pac-12 Third Team in 2016 and Pac-12 All-Freshman Honorable Mention in 2015. Nunes returns for her second year after receiving All-Freshman Team honors in 2018 and leading the returners in runs batted in (20) and total bases (66). Ybarra was a 2018 Pac-12 All-Freshman and All-Defensive player.
In the circle, senior Meehra Nelson (Simi Valley, Calif.) and sophomore Mariah Mazon (Tulare, Calif.) will look to anchor the defense as the duo combined for 70 appearances in 2018. Nelson made the All-Pac-12 Third Team and All-Freshman Team in 2016 and Mazon repeated these awards in 2018 for each of their first years in Corvallis.
The Beavers will be on the road this Friday, February 8, to open the 2019 season at the Kajikawa Classic in Tempe, Ariz., for a five-game slate.
2019 Pac-12 Softball Coaches' Poll (first-place votes)
1. UCLA (5) - 61
2. Washington (4) - 60
3. Arizona - 50
4. Arizona State - 43
T5. California - 31
T5. Oregon State - 31
7. Utah - 19
8. Stanford - 17
9. Oregon - 12
For more information on the Oregon State softball team, visit OSUBeavers.com or follow the team @BeaverSoftball on Twitter and Instagram.
OUR MISSION
Oregon State Athletics strives to Build Excellent Authentic Visionary Student-Athletes (Go BEAVS).
Players Mentioned
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