Jan. 22, 2013

STANFORD, Calif. - The Stanford softball team begins the 2013 season ranked No. 21 in the National Fastpitch Coaches Association preseason poll, the organization announced today.

The Cardinal finished the 2012 season with a 40-19 record and advanced to the postseason for the 15th consecutive year. The team finished sixth in the always-competitive Pac-12 Conference and ended the year with a No. 21 final ranking in the NFCA poll.

Stanford returns 13 letterwinners from last year's squad, including 2012 All-American Jenna Rich. Also returning for the Cardinal are senior pitcher Teagan Gerhart and sophomores Hanna Winter and Leah White, who joined Rich as NFCA All-West Region picks and All-Pac-12 Conference selections a year ago. Redshirt senior Sarah Hassman, who sat out the majority of the 2012 season due to injury, is also back for Stanford.

Seven of the nine Pac-12 squads appeared in the poll. California is the highest-ranked conference squad at No. 3. The Bears are followed by No. 4 Arizona State, No. 5 Oregon, No. 13 Arizona, No. 16 Washington, No. 19 UCLA and No. 21 Stanford in the rankings.

The Cardinal is scheduled to play 21 games against preseason top 25 teams this year, beginning with No. 2 Oklahoma at the Kajikawa Classic on Feb. 8, its second game of the season. Stanford will also face No. 9 Georgia and No. 25 Florida State at the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic in late February.