UT Tyler is the clear choice to win the 2023 Lone Star Conference softball title according to the preseason poll announced by league officials on Tuesday.
The league’s preseason poll reflects the opinions of LSC head coaches, sports information directors and various media representatives throughout the region.
UTT received 35 of the 37 first-place votes for a total of 550 points in the poll. The Patriots were an impressive 49-9 overall and 26-4 in league play in 2022 to earn the LSC title for the second straight year and the South Central Region crown. UTT saw its season end in the 2022 NCAA Division II Softball Championship semifinals.
Angelo State placed second in the poll with 474 points, while Texas A&M-Kingsville was third with one top vote and 466 points.
Lubbock Christian ranked fourth with 454 points, followed by Oklahoma Christian fifth with the remaining first-place vote and total of 405.
West Texas A&M was sixth with 368 points, St. Mary's seventh (346), Cameron eighth (242), St. Edward's ninth (240), and Texas Woman's (228) completed the top 10.
Texas A&M International, Eastern New Mexico, Midwestern State, UT Permian Basin and Western New Mexico rounded out the poll.
Angelo State’s Paxton Scheurer was tabbed LSC Preseason Player of the Year, while UT Tyler’s Tatum Goff picked up LSC Preseason Pitcher of the Year acclaim.
Scheurer, a senior infielder from Mansfield, Texas, was named the LSC Softball Player of the Year and Academic Player of the Year and the overall LSC Female Academic Athlete of the Year last season. She led the league with a .842 slugging percentage, 72 RBI, and 23 home runs. Scheurer also earned NFCA First Team All-American, D2 CCA Second Team All-American, and CoSIDA Academic All-American Second Team honors.
Goff, a junior utility from Rusk, Texas, earned LSC Newcomer of the Year honors last season after a strong year at the plate and in the circle. She hit .379 for the year with a team-high 10 home runs and was 13-6 on the mound with a 1.99 ERA and 143 strikeouts including no-hitter in the LSC Championship Tournament.
Additionally, 10 players and 12 pitchers were selected for the first LSC softball preseason players to watch list. The student-athletes were nominated by their member institution for recognition.
The 2023 season starts in early February with 15 LSC teams playing a single round-robin schedule with three 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 4-5-6, 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 and the preseason players to watch:
2023 LSC Softball Preseason Poll
| Rank |
Team |
1st |
Total |
| 1 |
UT Tyler |
35 |
550 |
| 2 |
Angelo State |
|
474 |
| 3 |
Texas A&M-Kingsville |
1 |
466 |
| 4 |
Lubbock Christian |
|
454 |
| 5 |
Oklahoma Christian |
1 |
405 |
| 6 |
West Texas A&M |
|
368 |
| 7 |
St. Mary's |
|
346 |
| 8 |
Cameron |
|
242 |
| 9 |
St. Edward's |
|
240 |
| 10 |
Texas Woman's |
|
228 |
| 11 |
Texas A&M International |
|
199 |
| 12 |
Eastern New Mexico |
|
181 |
| 13 |
Midwestern State |
|
124 |
| 14 |
UT Permian Basin |
|
123 |
| 15 |
Western New Mexico |
|
40 |
| LSC Softball Preseason Players to Watch |
| Name |
School |
Class |
Pos. |
Major |
Hometown/High School |
| Paxton Scheurer |
Angelo State |
SR |
INF |
Industrial/Org. Psychology |
Mansfield, Texas/Mansfield HS |
| Khmari Edwards |
Cameron |
SR |
INF |
Psychology |
Del City, Okla./Del City HS |
| Jokaira Paredes |
Eastern New Mexico |
SR |
INF |
Psychology |
Tucson, Ariz./Sunnyside HS |
| Bailey Brenek |
Midwestern State |
SR |
C/3B |
Education |
Flower Mound, Texas/Flower Mound HS |
| Megan Morris |
St. Edward's |
SO |
INF |
Kinesiology |
Bellaire, Texas/Bellaire HS |
| Matisen Onofrei |
Texas A&M-Kingsville |
SR |
C |
Civil Engineering |
Mesa, Ariz./Red Mountain HS |
| Julia Bumford |
UT Permian Basin |
JR |
INF |
Business |
Prosper, Texas/Prosper HS |
| Courtney Plocheck |
UT Tyler |
JR |
UTL |
Marketing |
Deer Park, Texas/Deer Park HS |
| Brittni Rufus |
West Texas A&M |
JR |
OF |
Health Sciences |
Mansfield, Texas/Lakeridge HS |
| Bryana Munoz |
Western New Mexico |
SR |
1B |
Masters in Business |
Dexter, NM/Dexter HS |
|
| LSC Softball Preseason Pitchers to Watch |
| Name |
School |
Class |
Pos. |
Major |
Hometown/High School |
| Genesis Armendariz |
Angelo State |
JR |
P |
Kinesiology |
Hobbs, N.M. /Hobbs HS |
| Jocelyn Bright |
Cameron |
JR |
RHP |
Sports and Exercise Science |
Burkburnett, Texas/Burkburnett HS |
| Brook Leger |
Eastern New Mexico |
SR |
P |
Health and Physical Educ. |
Albuquerque, N.M. /Volcano Vista HS |
| Kennedy Cameron |
Midwestern State |
JR |
P |
Nursing |
Longview, Texas/Longview HS |
| McKenna Leamon |
St. Edward's |
SR |
P |
Biology |
Scottsdale, Ariz. /Cactus Shadow HS |
| Catalina Cavazos |
St. Mary's |
SR |
P |
Biology |
Houston, Texas/North Shore HS |
| Lizette Del Angel |
Texas A&M-Kingsville |
JR |
P |
Kinesiology |
Robstown, Texas/Calallen HS |
| Alyssa LeBlanc |
Texas Woman's |
JR |
P/UT |
Sport Management |
Katy, Texas/Katy HS |
| Destini Trahan |
UT Permian Basin |
SR |
P |
Family Sciences |
Nederland, Texas/Nederland HS |
| Tatum Goff |
UT Tyler |
JR |
UT |
Nursing |
Rusk, Texas/Rusk HS |
| Heidi Vortherms |
West Texas A&M |
SO |
P |
Sports and Exercise Science |
Sioux Falls, S.D. /Roosevelt |
| Emily Maddux |
Western New Mexico |
JR |
P |
Psychology |
Douglas, Ariz. /Douglas HS |