SOU Picked to Win Fourth-Straight CCC Championship
CORVALLIS, Ore. – The Southern Oregon University softball program may have a new coach guiding the team this year, but the Raiders return a majority of players from last year’s NAIA National Championship squad. Perhaps that is why SOU topped the 2020 Cascade Collegiate Conference Softball Coaches’ Preseason Poll once again, released Wednesday morning.
The Raiders picked up nine first-place votes to grab 99 points and sit in the top spot of the poll. SOU finished 2019 with an impressive 52-8 overall and 24-3 CCC record, winning its third-straight CCC tournament title before winning the NAIA championship as well.
Oregon Tech isn’t far behind SOU, grabbing two first-place votes and tallying 91 points in the poll. The Lady Owls posted a 44-17, 23-4 conference mark and a trip to the NAIA championship tournament, grabbing their third-best finish in school history with eighth place in the NAIA.
College of Idaho earned 81 points to sit third on the poll. The Coyotes also secured a berth to the national championship as an at-large. C of I finished the year with a 40-17 overall, 20-7 CCC mark.
Corban University sits fourth on the poll with 72 points as it begins its first year with a new head coach. Carroll College completes the top-five with 66 points.
UBC picked up 49 points to sit in sixth, while two ties followed the Thunderbirds. Eastern Oregon University – also with a new head coach leading the charge – and Northwest University both tallied 38 points, while the University of Providence and Northwest Christian University each earned 28 points.
Warner Pacific University rounds out the softball poll at No. 11, marking its inaugural year of sponsoring the sport.
The 2020 softball season tees off early in 2020, with conference action rolling later in February.
2020 CCC Softball Coaches’ Preseason Poll
| Team (First-place Votes) |
Points |
2019 CCC |
2019 Overall |
| 1. Southern Oregon (9) |
99 |
24-3 |
52-8 |
| 2.Oregon Tech (2) |
91 |
23-4 |
44-17 |
| 3. College of Idaho |
81 |
20-7 |
40-17 |
| 4. Corban |
72 |
19-8 |
37-16 |
| 5. Carroll |
66 |
11-15 |
19-24 |
| 6. British Columbia |
49 |
7-18 |
11-27 |
| T-7. Eastern Oregon |
38 |
7-20 |
13-32 |
| T-7. NU |
38 |
7-19 |
13-30 |
| T-9. Providence |
28 |
8-19 |
8-27 |
| T-9. NCU |
28 |
7-20 |
11-32 |
| 11. Warner Pacific |
15 |
N/A |
N/A |