ARLINGTON, Texas – Grand Canyon was voted as the top team in the preseason 2024 Western Athletic Conference (WAC) Softball Coaches Poll that was released on Wednesday. All 10 WAC head coaches voted on the predicted order of finish and all-conference awards.

Grand Canyon, the defending WAC tournament champion, claimed eight first-place votes and 80 voting points to finish ahead of Utah Tech (one first-place vote, 69 voting points). Seattle U (one first-place vote, 66 voting points), Stephen F. Austin (53 points) and Tarleton State (50 points) rounded out the top five teams in the coaches poll.

Grand Canyon’s graduate student utility player Kristin Fifield was named the 2024 WAC Preseason Player of the Year. Fifield led the nation with 85 RBIs during the 2023 season. She led the WAC with 21 home runs, six sac flies and 151 total bases. She was second in the conference with a .803 slugging percentage and 56 runs scored. Fifield was a part of the 2023 WAC All-Tournament Team and earned First Team All-WAC and All-Defensive Team honors last season.

Grand Canyon’s Meghan Golden and Seattle U’s Stefanie Madrigal were named the 2024 WAC Preseason Pitchers of the Year. Golden, a junior and 2023 First Team All-WAC member, was 14-3 on the season for the Lopes with a conference leading 2.06 ERA, seven complete games and two shutouts. She led the conference in strikeouts (117), opposing batting average (.201) and strikeouts per game (8.92).

Madrigal, a senior, made 28 starts for the Redhawks, appearing in 36 games and threw 17 complete games with five shutouts and three saves. She finished the 2023 season leading the WAC with 19 wins in 186.2 innings. Overall, she had an ERA of 3.11 and 66 strikeouts. Madrigal was also a WAC All-Tournament team member last season.

Grand Canyon led the way with five total preseason all-conference selections, followed by Seattle U and Utah Tech with two players named. California Baptist, Stephen F. Austin and UT Arlington each had one honoree for preseason all-conference.

WAC Softball Preseason Coaches Poll  

Rank	Team (1st- Place Votes)	Points
1.	Grand Canyon (8)	80
2.	Utah Tech (1)	69
3.	Seattle U (1)	66
4.	Stephen F. Austin	53
5.	Tarleton State	50
6.	California Baptist	40
7.	UT Arlington	32
	Utah Valley	32
9.	Abilene Christian	19
10	Southern Utah	9

 
2024 WAC Preseason Player of the Year 
Kristin Fifield, Gr., UTL, Grand Canyon 

2024 WAC Preseason Pitchers of the Year 
Meghan Golden, Jr., Grand Canyon 
Stefanie Madrigal, Sr., Seattle U 

2024 Preseason All-WAC Team  
Priscilla Estrada, Jr., SS, California Baptist 
Katelyn Dunckel, Sr., IF, Grand Canyon 
Kristin Fifield, Gr., UTL, Grand Canyon
Meghan Golden, Jr., P, Grand Canyon 
Ramsay Lopez, Gr, IF, Grand Canyon 
Ariel Thompson, Gr., P, Grand Canyon 
Stefanie Madrigal, Sr., P, Seattle U 
Tai Wilson, Jr., OF, Seattle U 
Brooke Gainous, Jr., P, Stephen F. Austin
Marley Neises, So., UTL, UT Arlington 
Carly Eldredge, Jr., IF, Utah Tech
Sauren Garton, So., P, Utah Tech