There are not too many things in life that you can be 100 percent sure of, but in regards to the upcoming 2023 Pacific West Conference softball season, defending champion Concordia seems like a sure thing, earning the first-place vote of 100 percent of the conference’s coaches.

The Golden Eagles were the unanimous choice in the coaches preseason poll, and CUI Coach Crystal Rosenthal has the PacWest Preseason Player and Pitcher of the Year on her team as well. Katlin Entrup was the choice of the league’s coaches for pitcher of the year, and outfielder Megan Massa is the preseason player of the year.

Concordia had five players selected to the 12-person Preseason All-PacWest Team. Makes sense, considering that the 2022 PacWest champs and NCAA West Region finalists have 23 players returning from that roster, losing only four to graduation.

The Golden Eagles won the 2022 PacWest banner by four full games over second-place Azusa Pacific, clinching with a win over the Cougars, which doubled as Rosenthal’s 600^th career victory. Concordia then hosted the NCAA West Regional tournament, topping APU, Chico State and Cal State Dominguez Hills before eventually losing twice to CSUDH to finish as the regional runner-up. The Toros would go on to reach the NCAA title game. For a good chunk of the season, Concordia was ranked No. 1 nationally and rode a winning streak that in early April reached 36 games.

Massa was the 2022 PacWest Player of the Year, so it makes more good sense that she would parlay that into the 2023 Preseason Player of the Year. The Golden Eagle lead-off batter led the PacWest in hitting with a .408 average, scored 41 runs, slapped 19 doubles and stole ten bases. She had 24 multi-hit games and earned NFCA First Team All-West Region status.

Entrup was the 2022 PacWest Newcomer of the Year, bolstering the Golden Eagle pitching staff one year after transferring from the University of San Diego. The righty went 17-5 with a 1.32 ERA, allowing just 73 hits in 117 innings in the pitcher’s circle, fanning 111. Entrup was a NFCA First Team All-West Region selection as well and led the PacWest in wins (17) and saves (6).

Massa and Entrup are two reasons enough that one might select Concordia as the preseason favorite, but wait, there’s more. Three other Golden Eagles made the preseason team—first baseman Missy Nemeth, third baseman Sydney Sprinkle and pitcher Cortney Koelmans. Nemeth was a Second Team All-PacWest pick last year, hitting .290 with nine home runs. Sprinkle was a First Team D2CCA All-Region selection, hitting the ball at a .369 clip with eight home runs and a PacWest-best 53 RBI. Koelmans was a perfect 9-0 in the pitcher’s circle with a 1.05 ERA. She was a Second Team All-PacWest selection.

Additionally Rosenthal can welcome the return of seven-time All-American pitcher Callie Nunes, who did not play in 2022. Nine players with starting experience give Rosenthal a lot to work with.

Azusa Pacific finished second in the 2023 preseason poll after finishing second in the PacWest and advancing to the NCAA tournament. Pitcher Katie Korstrom is a preseason honoree, returning after a sparkling season that included a 13-4 record with a 1.80 ERA. She pitched four shutouts and had three saves. Ally Chin was selected to the preseason team as an outfielder after hitting .323 a year ago with 17 stolen bases. She was a Second Team All-PacWest pick. APU’s Caitlin DeCanio was named the preseason utility player, giving the Cougars three selections. DeCanio hit .341 as a freshman with 14 doubles, six home runs and 31 RBI. Azusa Pacific finished the 2022 season with a 35-17 record.

Biola landed in the third spot in the preseason coaches poll. The Eagles, just one year removed from reaching the NCAA title game, finished 25-18 overall last spring and was 18-12 in the PacWest. Catcher Brie Nowak is a preseason selection for the Eagles. Nowak has started behind the dish since arriving as a freshman in 2021 and led Biola in RBI last year with 30. Two-time PacWest All-First Team pick Jennifer Morinishi is back, hitting .386 last season, third best in the conference. Fellow First Team selection Abie Nowak returns as well (.328). The Eagles return 13 players from 2022, but did lose five-time All-PacWest pitcher Paige Austin to graduation.

We go to the islands for the next two spots. Hawai`i Pacific is picked fourth, led by All-PacWest Preseason selection Tita Saunders. Saunders, a left-handed hitting outfielder, is a name familiar to conference coaches having landed on the All-PacWest team three times. She hit .327 last year with 10 stolen bases. First Team selection Brandy Leong also returns at second base after hitting .327 a year ago, and Third Team selection Taylor Thompson is back in the pitching circle (12-14, 2.28 ERA). In all, nine starters return for the Sharks, who finished fourth in the PacWest last season.

Hawai`i Hilo is in the fifth spot, paced by sophomore shortstop Jayda Favela. Named the PacWest Freshman of the Year, Favela hit .304 and was second in the PacWest in stolen bases with 20. She led the conference in assists with 88 and was a First Team All-Conference selection. She makes this year's All-PacWest Preseason team. Second Team All-Conference pick Brandee Chinen returns in the outfield (.370 average), entering into her fifth season in a Vulcan uniform. Veteran third baseman Chloe Domingo is back (.291) as is starting pitcher Alexis Lacy, who had a 2.10 ERA last year and a 5-8 record.

Dominican is in slot six. The Penguins return one of the top pitchers in the conference in Shelby Keltner, who posted a 1.92 ERA last spring. Opponents hit just .226 against her and she earned Second Team All-PacWest honors. Dominican has 11 returnees overall, also including Lauren Lapinid, a Third Team pick last year, leading the Penguins with a .329 batting average.

Chaminade checks in at No. 7, just two voting points behind Dominican. The Silverswords are led by PacWest Preseason selection Cheyne Obara (second base). Chaminade returns 12 players with starting experience including two pitchers in Jaeda Cabunoc (10-13/2.79) and Taylor Genera (6-10/3.12). Kobe Brown is back at first base (.284) for the Silverswords, who finished 16-25 last spring. Academy of Art is next in eighth and Holy Names is ninth. The Urban Knights return nine players off their 2022 team, but lost key cog Lauryn Henderson. Holy Names returns All-PacWest Second Team selection Hannah Haynie and Third Team pick Kimberlee Watson (.304). The Hawks return nine players and lost six.

The season officially gets underway this Wednesday (Feb. 1) when William Jessup visits Academy of Art for a twin bill. On Feb. 2, Concordia hosts Cal State East Bay and Biola does the same with Northwest Nazarene. Feb. 3-5 is Concordia’s Kickoff Classic at the Great Park in Irvine, featuring nearly all the PacWest squads and other teams from all across the west region. PacWest play officially begins on Feb. 24 when Chaminade hosts Biola and Azusa Pacific welcomes Academy of Art.
 

2023 PRESEASON ALL-PACWEST SOFTBALL TEAM
Name	School	Pos.	Class	B/T	Hometown/Previous School
Brie Nowak	Biola	C	Sr.	R/R	Winchester / Vista Murrieta HS
Missy Nemeth	Concordia	1B	Sr.	L/R	Glendora / Glendora HS
Cheyne Obara	Chaminade	2B	Sr.	R/R	Pearl City, Hawai`i / Pearl City HS
Sydney Sprinkle	Concordia	3B	Sr.	R/R	Palm Desert / Palm Desert HS
Jayda Favela	Hawai`i Hilo	SS	So.	L/R	Eva Beach, Hawai`i / Campbell HS
Caitlin DeCanio	Azusa Pacific	UTL	So.	R/R	Clovis / Clovis HS
Megan Massa*	Concordia	OF	Sr.	L/R	Fairfield / Rodriguez HS
Ally Chin	Azusa Pacific	OF	Jr.	L/R	El Cerrito / El Cerrito HS
Tita Saunders	Hawai`i Pacific	OF	Sr.	L/R	Pearl City, Hawai`i / Pearl City HS
Katlin Entrup ^	Concordia	P	Jr.	R/R	Claremont / Univ. of San Diego
Katie Korstrom	Azusa Pacific	P	Jr.	R/R	Abbotsford, BC / Yale Secondary
Cortney Koelmans	Concordia	P	Jr.	R/R	Oakdale / Oakdale HS

* - Preseason Player of the Year
^ - Preseason Pitcher of the Year