USA Today/NFCA Preseason Top 25 Poll 

STARKVILLE, Miss. — Defending national champion Arizona earned 23 first-place votes to claim the top spot in the USA Today/NFCA Preseason Top 25 Poll. 

UA leads a contingent of seven Pac-10 teams ranked in the poll, including six in the top 10. The SEC and Big 12 both placed five teams in the rankings, with the SEC placing three squads in the top 10 slots. 

The Wildcats, who finished 2006 with a 54-11 record, rank ahead of fellow Women’s College World Series participant Tennessee in the inaugural poll of the 2007 campaign. UA defeated Tennessee in last year’s WCWS to advance to the championship series against Northwestern. 

Fresh off a national runner-up finish, Northwestern begins 2007 in the No. 4 position after finishing 2006 ranked No. 2. The Wildcats fall a point behind UCLA, the team it knocked off last season in Oklahoma City. 

WCWS squads Arizona State, Oregon State and Alabama follow at Nos. 5-8, respectively, while Stanford, LSU and California round out the top 10. 

Michigan begins the season in the No. 11 spot, followed by Washington, Texas A&M, Georgia and Nebraska at Nos. 12-15. 

Oklahoma moved up a couple of places to No. 16, while Texas moved down to 17th after finishing in the top five at the conclusion of 2006. Fellow Big 12 competitor Baylor moved up two slots to 18th. 

Louisiana-Lafayette follows the trio of Big 12 squads in the No. 19 spot, while Louisville rounds out the top 20 after dropping three places from the final 2006 rankings. 

Fresno State, South Florida, Massachusetts, Auburn and Florida State round out the top 25.