UTEP softball was voted to finish sixth in Conference USA’s newly formatted West Division, the conference announced this week.
The Miners finished last year at 5-17 (1-2 C-USA) before the season was cut short on March 13, 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Junior utility Kasey Flores was selected to the C-USA Preseason Team for the second consecutive year as an outfielder.
Flores started in all of the Miners’ 22 games last season and led the team with 22 hits and 16 runs as she compiled a .338 batting average. Flores also knocked in 14 RBIs and belted six homeruns. She led the team defensively with 65 assists en route to a .931 fielding percentage.
In Flores’s last full season at UTEP – her freshman year in 2019 – she started in 47 games and hit at a .352 clip with 51 hits and a .415 on-base percentage. She was third on the team with nine homers and second with 10 doubles.
Flores and the Miners get back on the diamond on Feb. 11 when they travel to Abilene, Texas, to play the first of six games in a four-day span against Abilene Christian at 6 p.m. MT.
2020-21 C-USA Preseason Poll
Predicted Order of Finish
East
1. WKU (8)
2. Marshall (3)
3. Charlotte (1)
4. Middle Tennessee
5. FAU
6. FIU
West
1. North Texas (10)
2. UAB (1)
3. Southern Miss (1)
4. UTSA
5. Louisiana Tech
6. UTEP
Preseason Player of the Year
Aly Harrell, Marshall (Senior, IF)
Preseason Pitcher of the Year
Hope Trautwein, North Texas (Senior, RHP)
2020-21 C-USA Preseason Team
Pitcher: Kelsey Aikey R-Sr. WKU
Pitcher: Shelby Nunn R-Jr. WKU
Pitcher: Hope Trautwein Sr. North Texas
Catcher: Kendall Smith R-Jr. WKU
Catcher: Bailey Vannoy Jr. Charlotte
Infielder: Sierra Huerta Sr. Marshall
Infielder: Summer Burgess Gr. Middle Tennessee
Infielder: Lexi Cushing Gr. Middle Tennessee
Infielder: Aly Harrell Sr. Marshall
Infielder: Riley Grunberg So. UTSA
Infielder: Tayla Evans Jr. North Texas
Outfielder: Kasey Flores Jr. UTEP
Outfielder: Mya Stevenson Jr. Marshall
Outfielder: Celeste Loughman Sr. UTSA
Outfielder: Madison Rayner Jr. Southern Miss
DP/Utility: Saige Pye Sr. Marshall
For complete coverage of UTEP softball, be sure to follow the Miners on social media at @UTEPSoftball (Twitter), @utepsoftball (Instagram) and on Facebook or click here to visit the official home of UTEP Athletics.
