BIG EAST Preseason Coaches’ Poll Ranks Softball as a Top Contender at Fourth Place!

By: Patrick Davis

OMAHA, Neb. – After the program’s most triumphant season in over a decade, the Creighton softball squad was forecasted to place fourth in the 2025 BIG EAST Preseason Coaches’ Poll, as declared by the league on Friday, January 17. 
 
Creighton garnered one first-place vote and amassed a total of 43 points, just three points behind St. John’s who secured the third position with 46 points. Reigning BIG EAST regular-season and tournament champion Villanova was named the preseason frontrunner by the league’s coaches, achieving six first-place votes and a total of 61 points, while UConn accumulated two first-place votes and 57 points for a second-place finish. 
 
Seton Hall landed in fifth with 39 points, whereas Butler (28) narrowly surpassed Providence (27) by a single point for the fifth slot. DePaul (14) and Georgetown (9) completed the poll in the eighth and ninth spots respectively. 
 
The Bluejays are bringing back 11 letter winners from last year’s roster that reached the BIG EAST Tournament championship game and concluded the season tied for second overall with a 36-22 record, marking their first 35-win season since 2010. 
 
All-BIG EAST Second Team selection Sydra Seville returns to safeguard the outfield after leading the Bluejays in batting average (.367) last season. Joining her is fellow outfielder and All-BIG EAST First Team ace, Ella Dalton, who had a .315 batting average with 45 hits, boasting a team-high two triples and seven stolen bases last spring.
 
In the infield, the Bluejays are anchored by 2024 BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year, Ashten Pierson. Pierson, one of only four Bluejays to participate in all 58 games last season, topped the league with a flawless 1.000 fielding percentage on 38 putouts, contributing 48 assists and executing five double plays during league competition last year. She is supported by standout junior Lily West, who concluded the previous season with a .326 average across 60 hits and recorded a team-high tying 32 runs.
 
Creighton finished third in the BIG EAST for both strikeouts (289) and earned run average (3.36) in the last season but will need to compensate for the loss of the 2024 BIG EAST Pitcher of the Year Natalia Puchino, who led the league in ERA (1.83) and wins (26) last year. However, senior Kenzie Schopfer will spearhead the Bluejays pitching lineup in 2025, aiming to improve upon her previous year’s record of six wins, 64 strikeouts, and a 4.00 ERA. Additionally, the Bluejays are counting on sophomores Brooklyn Patchen and Brooke Shifflett to be significant contributors in the circle this season. 
 
Creighton will commence the 2025 season at the Kickin’ Chicken Classic in Conway, S.C. from Feb. 7-9, facing Purdue Fort Wayne to kick off the new season. The home segment of the schedule will begin on March 11 when the Jays host former Missouri Valley Conference opponent Drake. 
 
BIG EAST action kicks off on March 7 when Creighton heads to Rhode Island to challenge Providence. The top six finishers in the BIG EAST regular-season standings will qualify for the BIG EAST Championship presented by Jeep, with the champion earning the conference’s automatic bid to the NCAA Regionals.