The WKU softball team received votes in the ESPN.com USA Softball Collegiate Top 25 poll, after a 33-win season last spring.  The Lady Toppers are entering their first year in Conference USA and are the only team from the new conference receiving votes. 

The C-USA coaches voted WKU to finish fifth in its inaugural campaign, with seven returning Lady Toppers from last season, including three-time All-Sun Belt Conference honoree, Preslie Cruce.  

Seven opponents from WKU’s inaugural campaign are listed in the national preseason rankings, with five of them in the top 20.

Head Coach Amy Tudor added 10 new student-athletes—four of whom are senior transfers, including preseason C-USA Team selections Miranda Kramer and Dani Pugh (both Indiana University- Purdue University Fort Wayne transfers), along with Canadian National Team member Larissa Franklin.

The Lady Topper’s two preseason team selections are the second-most honorees in the league, tied with Charlotte and North Texas. Florida Atlantic and Marshall each garnered three.

After competing in the Troy Chick-fil-A invitational this upcoming weekend, the Lady Toppers will face No. 5 Florida State, No. 8 Michigan and No. 18/20 Nebraska in the Unconquered Invitational in Tallahassee, Florida. 

FIU and UAB are tied for preseason favorites in the conference, as both teams received five first-place votes. Florida Atlantic came in third, Marshall was picked fourth and the Lady Toppers round out the top 5.

On Friday, Feb. 6 at Troy’s Chick-fil-A Invitational, WKU will take on Buffalo at 9:30 a.m. before clashing with North Florida at 2:30 p.m. On Saturday, the Lady Toppers will take on host-school Troy at 5 p.m. before instantly returning to the field at 7:30 p.m. against Alabama State.  They will finish the invitational, on Sunday, with another matchup against Alabama State.