COLUMBIA, Mo. - The Missouri Tigers softball team earned its highest preseason ranking in the program's history Tuesday.
The Tigers are ranked seventh in the nation in the USA Today/NFCA Division I Preseason Top 25 poll released by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association.
Missouri is the highest out of the five Big 12 teams in the top 25, with Oklahoma coming in at No. 9, Texas at No. 15, Texas A&M at No. 21 and Oklahoma State at No. 23.
Defending champion UCLA earned the top ranking, receiving 27 of the 30 first-place votes. Arizona received three first-place votes and is ranked No. 2, while Georgia sits at No. 3. Tennessee and Florida round out the top five, with Alabama at No. 6.
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Missouri, which finished with a school-record 51 wins last year, begins the 2011 campaign Feb. 18-20 at the San Diego Classic.