College Softball Rankings: ESPN, USA Softball release updated Top 25 after Week 9

Nine weeks are now complete across college softball. After another fun week, ESPN and USA Softball have released their latest top 25 rankings with a new No. 1 team headlining the changes.

The weekend was full of intrigue, with four series between ranked teams. No. 1 Texas was at No. 5 Alabama, No. 11 Georgia was at No. 15 Texas A&M, No. 16 Mississippi State was at No. 7 Florida, and No. 17 Virginia was at No. 19 Duke.

As a whole, seven top 25 teams lost their respective weekends in Week 9. As a result, there’s plenty of movement in this week’s softball rankings.

Here’s a full look at the latest Top 25 from ESPN and USA Softball. The changes right start at the top.

1. Texas Tech

Previous Ranking: No. 2 (+1)
Previous Week Record: 4-0 (3-0 in Big 12)
Overall Record: 38-2 (14-1 in Big 12)

Texas Tech’s week began away from home, picking up a 9-1 win at Abilene Christian on Tuesday. The Red Raiders then returned home to host BYU and dominated from start to finish. They won 11-1 on Thursday, 10-1 on Friday and 12-4 on Saturday to finish the sweep, improving to 38-2 overall and 14-1 in Big 12 play.

2. Oklahoma

Previous Ranking: No. 3 (+1)
Previous Week Record: 4-0 (3-0 in SEC)
Overall Record: 38-3 (11-1 in SEC)

After a 12-3 victory against Wichita State on Tuesday, Oklahoma hosted Kentucky for another SEC series over the weekend. The Sooners cruised throughout, with no game lasting past the fifth inning. They won 10-2 on Thursday, 9-1 on Friday and 12-2 on Saturday, finishing the sweep and improving to 38-3 overall and 11-1 in the SEC.

3. Alabama

Previous Ranking: No. 5 (+2)
Previous Week Record: 2-1 (2-1 in SEC)
Overall Record: 35-3 (9-3 in SEC)

Alabama made a statement this week, hosting No. 1 Texas. The Crimson Tide lost 9-1 in the series opener on Thursday, but won 11-4 on Friday to even the series and 7-4 on Saturday to clinch the weekend. They’re now on the rise in ESPN/USA Softball’s rankings after reaching 35-3 overall and 9-3 in SEC play on the year.

4. Texas

Previous Ranking: No. 1 (-3)
Previous Week Record: 1-2 (1-2 in SEC)
Overall Record: 32-4 (9-3 in SEC)

Texas was on the road over the weekend, taking on No. 5 Alabama in Tuscaloosa. The Longhorns won the series opener on Thursday, 9-1, but couldn’t find the second win to take the series. Instead, they lost 11-4 on Friday and 7-4 on Saturday to drop the series and fall out of the No. 1 spot in ESPN/USA Softball’s top 25 rankings.

5. Nebraska

Previous Ranking: No. 4 (-1)
Previous Week Record: 4-0 (3-0 in Big Ten)
Overall Record: 30-6 (11-1 in Big Ten)

Nebraska’s week started on the road, earning an 8-2 win against Creighton on Tuesday. It then started the weekend with a Saturday doubleheader against Rutgers, winning 8-0 and then 5-3 to clinch the series. In Sunday’s finale, the Cornhuskers won 11-5 to finish off the sweep.

6. Arkansas

Previous Ranking: No. 6
Previous Week Record: 3-0 (3-0 in SEC)
Overall Record: 33-5 (8-4 in SEC)

Arkansas has now won consecutive SEC series after its weekend against Auburn. The Razorbacks won 10-0 in Saturday’s series opener and clinched the series with a 4-0 victory on Sunday. In Monday’s finale, Arkansas won 4-1 to finish off the sweep and improve to 33-5 overall and 8-4 in the SEC.

7. Florida

Previous Ranking: No. 7
Previous Week Record: 3-1 (2-1 in SEC)
Overall Record: 36-5 (11-4 in SEC)

Florida kicked off its week on Wednesday, picking up an 8-2 road win at Stetson. The Gators then returned home to face No. 16 Mississippi State over the weekend. On Friday, Florida won 2-0 before falling 9-5 on Saturday. That set up a rubber game on Sunday, where the Gators won a tight 5-4 game to clinch the series.

8. UCLA

Previous Ranking: No. 9 (+1)
Previous Week Record: 4-0 (3-0 in Big Ten)
Overall Record: 33-5 (13-2 in Big Ten)

UCLA started the week with a 9-5 win against Hawaii on Thursday, just before hosting Indiana for a series starting on Friday. The Bruins found their way to a weekend sweep, winning over the Hoosiers 5-4 on Friday, 7-2 on Saturday and 4-0 on Sunday to end a perfect week.

9. Florida State

Previous Ranking: No. 10 (+1)
Previous Week Record: 3-0 (3-0 in ACC)
Overall Record: 35-4 (12-0 in ACC)

Florida State was at home over the weekend, hosting Notre Dame in a series beginning on Thursday. The Seminoles won the opener 7-2, and then won 10-0 on Friday and 8-4 on Saturday to finish off the clean sweep. They remain unbeaten in ACC play at 12-0, and are 35-4 overall.

10. Tennessee

Previous Ranking: No. 8 (-2)
Previous Week Record: 2-1 (2-1 in SEC)
Overall Record: 32-6 (9-6 in SEC)

Tennessee hosted a South Carolina team right on the verge of the top 25 in ESPN/USA Softball’s rankings this weekend. The Volunteers won the opener 3-1 on Thursday, but lost 5-1 on Friday to even the series. In Saturday’s finale, Tennessee won 4-2 to clinch the series victory.

ESPN, USA Softball Rankings: 11-25

11. Arizona (+2)
12. Virginia Tech
13. Texas A&M (+2)
14. Georgia (-3)
15. Mississippi State (+1)
16. Duke (+3)
17. Oregon (+1)
18. LSU (+2)
19. Washington (-5)
20. Oklahoma State (+1)
21. Virginia (-4)
22. UCF (+3)
23. Stanford (+1)
24. South Carolina (NR)
25. Grand Canyon (-3)

Dropped out of ESPN/USA Softball Top 25 Rankings: Arizona State (prev. No. 23)
Others receiving votes: Louisville (24), Clemson (21), Ole Miss (17), Arizona State (9), Belmont (7), Boston U (4), Kansas (3), Marshall (2), Baylor (1), Jacksonville State (1), Southeastern Louisiana (1)