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With the beginning of its 2022 campaign a little over one week away, the NM State softball team has an idea of where the rest of the Western Athletic Conference projects the defending league champions to finish.
Thursday afternoon, in a release issued by the WAC, NM State was selected to secure a runner-up finish in the league's West Division in the 2022 Softball Preseason Coaches Poll.
The defending WAC champions also boasted two of the 13 individuals who made up the 2022 Preseason All-WAC Team. Senior Kayla Bowen and redshirt sophomore Ramsay Lopez were the NM State representatives on the 13-woman list.
A fixture on NM State's roster since the start of the 2019 campaign, Bowen seeks to build on a 2021 season that saw the Fresno, Calif., product pick up a spot on the All-WAC Second Team. As the Aggies' first baseman last year, Bowen slashed .305/.354/.589 to finish second on the squad in RBI (39). Her 15 doubles represented a team-high and she came on especially strong at the tail end of the Aggies' season by generating at least one hit in 12 of the Aggies' final 14 contests.
In her first full season in an NM State uniform, Lopez turned heads in the league through the Aggies' 2021 campaign. Installed as the Aggies' everyday third baseman, Lopez latched on to All-WAC First Team honors as well as a spot on the WAC Tournament Team by the time the season came to a close. Hailing from Albuquerque, N.M., Lopez started all 52 games for the Aggies and slashed .293/.407/.573 in the batter's box. The team's leader in walks (29), Lopez racked up 11 doubles and an equal number of long balls for NM State.
With the addition of four new teams from the state of Texas for the 2022 season, the league has been split into divisions. NM State was second only to defending WAC Tournament champion Seattle U in the preseason West Division poll with the Redhawks receiving five of the six possible first-place votes. NM State grabbed the lone remaining top spot tally.
In the Southwest Division, SFA was the overwhelming favorite to lay claim to that division crown in its inaugural season in the WAC. The Ladyjacks amassed four of the five first-place votes while Sam Houston nabbed the remaining one.
NM State is set to open its 2022 campaign at the NM State Softball Complex on Friday, Feb. 11, at 4:00 p.m. by playing host to Texas State. The Aggies' season-opener that day is one of three tilts NM State has scheduled for opening weekend.
2022 Preseason WAC Player of the Year
Shaylon Govan | Jr. | SFA | INF/OF
2022 Preseason WAC Pitcher of the Year
Kassidy Wilbur | Sr. | SFA | RHP
2022 Preseason All-WAC Softball Team
Kayla Bowen | Sr. | NM State | Utility
Kristin Fifield | Jr. | Grand Canyon | Utility
Gaby Garcia | Jr. | SFA | C/OF
Shaylon Govan | Jr. | SFA | INF/OF
Hannah Hughbanks | Jr. | Dixie State | OF/1B
Ramsay Lopez | R-So. | NM State | INF
Carley Nance | Gr. | Seattle U | RHP
Stefanie Madrigal | Jr. | Seattle U | RHP
Gianna Nicoletti | Sr. | Grand Canyon | OF
Linnah Rebolledo | Sr. | Utah Valley | INF/OF
Kalena Shepard | Jr. | Utah Valley | C
Olivia Viggiano | Sr. | Seattle U | OF
Kassidy Wilbur | Sr. | SFA | RHP
2022 WAC Softball Preseason Coaches Poll
West Division
1. Seattle U (5) | 25
2. NM State (1) | 20
3. Grand Canyon | 16
4. Dixie State | 13
5. California Baptist | 9
6. Utah Valley | 7
Southwest Division
1. SFA (4) | 16
2. Sam Houston (1) | 13
3. Abilene Christian | 9
4. Tarleton | 8
5. Lamar | 4
