Softball Ranked No. 4 in Preseason ESPN.com/USA Softball Poll

Alabama softball is ranked fourth in ESPN.com/USA Softball preseason poll, released Tuesday. Defending national champion Florida claimed the top spot while Oregon, Oklahoma and Florida State round out the rest of the top five.

Last week, the Tide placed third in the USA Today/NFCA preseason poll, as the same five teams are ranked in the top five in both polls.

Nine SEC teams are ranked in the top 25, including four in the top 10. Top-ranked Florida and fourth-ranked Alabama are joined by No. 7 Kentucky, No. 10 Georgia, No. 14 Tennessee, No. 17 Missouri, No. 18 LSU, No. 19 Auburn and No. 24 Texas A&M. All nine teams were also ranked in last week’s USA Today/NFCA preseason poll.

Alabama finished the 2014 season with a 53-13 record, marking the eighth time in the last nine years the Tide have won over 50 games. The Tide also made its ninth WCWS appearance, winning three games before falling to Florida in the championship series. Alabama went 19-5 in conference play, winning its fifth SEC regular season championship, the third in the last four years. The Tide return 13 players from last year’s team, including seniors Chaunsey Bell, Danae Hays, Leslie Jury, Danielle Richard and Jadyn Spencer.

The Tide opens its 2015 season on Thursday, Feb. 5 in Mobile, Ala., against the South Alabama Jaguars. The next day, Alabama heads to Gulf Shores for the Sand Dollar Classic for five games over three days at the Gulf Shores Sportsplex.

ESPN.com/USA Softball Top 25 Poll – Preseason (Jan. 27)