UT Tyler is the favorite to win the 2022 Lone Star Conference softball title according to the preseason poll announced by league officials on Wednesday.
The league’s preseason poll reflects the opinions of LSC head coaches, sports information directors and various media representatives throughout the region.
UTT received 22 of the 43 first-place votes for a total of 654 points in the poll. The Patriots were 33-7 overall and 27-3 in league play in 2021 to earn the LSC Championship.
West Texas A&M finished second in the poll with 16 first-place nods for 629 points. The Lady Buffs captured the 2021 NCAA Division II Softball Championship, winning 21 of their last 23 games to claim the LSC Tournament, South Central Regional and DII titles with a 43-12 overall and 20-10 league record.
Angelo State ranked third with one top vote and 571 points, followed closely by Oklahoma Christian. The Eagles finished fourth with three first-place votes and 565 points.
Texas A&M-Commerce was fifth with 525 points, while Texas A&M-Kingsville was sixth with one top nod and 481 points. Lubbock Christian was seventh with 423 points, while Texas A&M International (393), Cameron (323), and St. Mary’s (321) completed the top 10.
St. Edward's, Midwestern State, Texas Woman's, UT Permian Basin, Eastern New Mexico, and Western New Mexico rounded out the poll.
West Texas A&M’s Ruby Salzman was tabbed LSC Preseason Player of the Year, while UT Tyler’s Payton Foster captured LSC Preseason Pitcher of the Year acclaim.
Salzman, a junior outfielder from Northridge, California, was a key part of a Lady Buffs squad that won their second national title in program history in 2021. She was named a D2 CCA and NFCA All-American after leading NCAA Division II in hits with 84. Salzman led the LSC in batting average (.433), RBI (60), doubles (17), and at-bats (194), and ranked second in slugging percentage (.758), runs scored (58), home runs (12), and stolen bases (29) to earn LSC first-team honors. She also picked up CoSIDA First Team Academic All-American recognition.
Foster, a redshirt junior pitcher from Lufkin, Texas, helped the Patriots claim the 2021 LSC Softball Championship with a 15-4 record in the circle allowing just 20 earned runs in 126.2 innings pitched with 106 strikeouts. Foster earned D2 CCA and NFCA All-American honors along with LSC Pitcher of the Year and first-team acclaim after leading the league in ERA (1.11) and opponents’ batting average (.186).
The 2022 season starts in early February with 16 LSC teams playing a single round-robin schedule with two games against each league opponent. The LSC Champion will be the team(s) with the best winning percentage in regular-season conference games.
The single-elimination LSC Championship featuring the top 10 teams will be played May 5-6-7, at the No. 1 seed. The winner of the postseason championship will be recognized as LSC Tournament Champion and receive the league’s automatic qualification into the NCAA postseason.
Here is a closer look at the voting breakdown:
2022 LSC Softball Preseason Poll
| Rank |
Team |
1st |
Total |
| 1 |
UT Tyler |
22 |
654 |
| 2 |
West Texas A&M |
16 |
629 |
| 3 |
Angelo State |
1 |
571 |
| 4 |
Oklahoma Christian |
3 |
565 |
| 5 |
Texas A&M-Commerce |
|
525 |
| 6 |
Texas A&M-Kingsville |
1 |
481 |
| 7 |
Lubbock Christian |
|
423 |
| 8 |
Texas A&M International |
|
393 |
| 9 |
Cameron |
|
323 |
| 10 |
St. Mary's |
|
321 |
| 11 |
St. Edward's |
|
272 |
| 12 |
Midwestern State |
|
213 |
| 13 |
Texas Woman's |
|
182 |
| 14 |
UT Permian Basin |
|
146 |
| 15 |
Eastern New Mexico |
|
94 |
| 16 |
Western New Mexico |
|
56 |