Oregon is the Pac-12 coaches’ pick to win the conference softball championship in 2018.

The Ducks received seven of nine first-place votes and 63 points in a preseason poll released Monday by the Pac-12 office. UCLA received the other two first-place votes and 55 points to rank No. 2 in the nine-team league.

Oregon, which had won four straight conference titles from 2013 to 2016, finished second in the league last year, half a game behind Arizona. The Wildcats are fourth in the preseason poll with 44 points, trailing No. 3 Washington’s 51.

Oregon State received 18 points and is eighth in the poll, behind Utah (34), Arizona State (31) and California (19). Stanford rounded out the poll with nine points.

The Ducks and Beavers open the new season later this week at the Kajikawa Classic in Tempe, Arizona.

— Bulletin staff report