School	(1st)	Pts.	'02 Overall	'02 NWC
Pacific Lutheran University	8	72	36-2	20-0
Linfield College		53	21-17	13-8
Willamette University		47	17-14	11-9
University of Puget Sound		42	23-9-1	15-5-1
Lewis & Clark College		30	11-24-1	7-13-1
Pacific University		23	9-28	5-16
George Fox University		15	9-17	6-14
Whitworth College		14	5-29	4-16

(First-place votes in parenthesis. Points awarded on 9-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 basis).

Pacific Lutheran Unanimous Choice to Win Softball Title Again
 

Spokane, Wash. - Pacific Lutheran University is a unanimous choice to win its fifth straight Northwest Conference softball title and the Lutes' 16th in the last 17 years. Four returning All-Northwest Conference selections will lead PLU in 2003, including infielders Jenny Ferries (Sr.) and Andrea Wells (So.) and junior pitcher/utility Jewel Koury. PLU picked up all eight first place votes and 72 poll points. The Lutes finished 36-2 overall last season and 20-0 in the NWC before advancing to the NCAA Division III World Series in Eau Claire, Wisconsin.

Linfield College, Willamette University and the University of Puget Sound were tightly bunched in second through fourth place in the poll. Linfield was a narrow choice for second with 53 poll points. The Wildcats (21-17 overall, 13-8 NWC in 2002) return senior pitcher Liz Coburn. Willamette (17-14m 11-9), with 47 points in the poll, will rely on All-NWC infielder Marcie Hagen. Puget Sound (42 points, 23-9-1, 15-5-1) must replace four All-NWC selections who graduated last spring. But the Loggers do return All-NWC pitcher Kelsey Weidkamp.

Lewis & Clark College (11-24-1, 7-13-1) follows in fifth place with 30 points. Pacific (9-28, 5-16) was seventh (23 points), while George Fox (9-17, 6-14, 15 points) and Whitworth (5-29, 4-16) finished eighth and ninth in the poll, respectively.

Pacific and Lewis & Clark kick off the NWC softball season by hosting Concordia and Northwest Christian, respectively, in double headers on February 22nd.