College Softball Rankings: ESPN, USA Softball shake up top 25 with new No. 1 after Week 10

Another fun week of college softball is in the books. Week 10 brought upsets, ranked matchups and everything in between. On Tuesday, ESPN and USA Softball released their latest top 25 rankings with plenty of changes.

Six ranked teams lost their series over the weekend. Two of those came in the top ten, with one of them coming via a sweep. So there’s definitely some movement in the top 25 this week.

There were six matchups between two ranked teams in ESPN/USA Softball’s top 25 rankings over the weekend. No. 2 Oklahoma was at No. 4 Texas, No. 6 Arkansas was at No. 15 Mississippi State, No. 7 Florida was at No. 24 South Carolina, No. 9 Florida State was at No. 23 Stanford, No. 11 Arizona was at No. 18 LSU, and No. 12 Virginia Tech was at No. 21 Virginia.

Here’s a full look at how ESPN/USA Softball’s top 25 looks after Week 10. No change at the top, but plenty of changes below.

1. Oklahoma

Previous Ranking: No. 2 (+1)
Previous Week Record: 2-1 (2-1 in SEC)
Overall Record: 40-4 (13-2 in SEC)

Oklahoma was on the road this weekend in a battle between two top four teams in ESPN/USA Softball’s top 25 rankings. The Sooners won Friday’s opener 3-0 at rival No. 4 Texas, and then clinched the series with a 4-3 victory on Saturday. Oklahoma fell just short of the sweep, though, falling 8-6 in eight innings on Sunday.

2. Alabama

Previous Ranking: No. 3 (+1)
Previous Week Record: 4-0 (3-0 in SEC)
Overall Record: 39-3 (12-3 in SEC)

Alabama started its week on Tuesday, beating South Alabama 8-0. The Tide then hit the road for a trip to rival Auburn, and it was a good weekend. They didn’t allow a run until Sunday, clinching the series with 1-0 and 4-0 wins on Friday and Saturday. They then finished the sweep with a 9-1 win on Sunday.

3. Texas Tech

Previous Ranking: No. 1 (-2)
Previous Week Record: 3-0 (3-0 in Big 12)
Overall Record: 40-3 (16-2 in Big 12)

Texas Tech was on the road this week, and they handled their business at Utah. The Red Raiders took the weekend, taking two games out of three. They won 10-2 in Friday’s series opener before losing 4-0 on Saturday. In Sunday’s rubber game, Texas Tech took the series with a 7-1 victory.

4. Nebraska

Previous Ranking: No. 5 (+1)
Previous Week Record: 3-0 (3-0 in Big Ten)
Overall Record: 33-6 (14-1 in Big Ten)

Nebraska was on the road this weekend, traveling to Wisconsin to continue Big Ten play. The Cornhuskers enjoyed a great series, sweeping their way to a 14-1 league record. They won 5-0 and 6-0 on Friday and Saturday to clinch the series, and then 12-2 on Sunday to complete the sweep. They continue to sit strong in the top five of ESPN/USA Softball’s rankings.

5. Texas

Previous Ranking: No. 4 (-1)
Previous Week Record: 1-2 (1-2 in SEC)
Overall Record: 33-6 (10-5 in SEC)

Texas was at home for a big rivalry SEC series this weekend, hosting No. 2 Oklahoma. The Longhorns fell 3-0 in the opener on Friday, and then lost 4-3 on Saturday to lose the series. Texas was able to salvage the finale on Sunday, picking up an 8-6 win in an eight-inning game.

6. Arkansas

Previous Ranking: No. 6
Previous Week Record: 2-1 (2-1 in SEC)
Overall Record: 35-6 (10-5 in SEC)

Arkansas continued SEC play over the weekend, hitting the road for a trip to No. 15 Mississippi State. The Razorbacks fell in Friday’s series opener, but bounced back the rest of the weekend. They won 8-0 on Saturday to even the series, and then 10-3 on Sunday to clinch the weekend.

7. Florida

Previous Ranking: No. 7
Previous Week Record: 4-0 (3-0 in SEC)
Overall Record: 40-5 (14-4 in SEC)

Florida started its week with a 4-1 midweek win over USF, and then hit the road for a trip to South Carolina over the weekend. The Gators largely dominated, winning 5-0 on Friday, 15-2 on Saturday and 6-1 on Sunday on their way to a series sweep. They now sit at 40 wins on the year, and 14-4 in SEC play.

8. UCLA

Previous Ranking: No. 8
Previous Week Record: 4-0 (3-0 in Big Ten)
Overall Record: 37-5 (16-2 in Big Ten)

After a 13-11 road win at Cal State Fullerton on Tuesday, UCLA traveled to Illinois for another Big Ten series over the weekend. There, it was all Bruins. They won 17-0 in Friday’s opener to set the tone, and then finished off the sweep with 10-1 and 18-0 wins on Saturday and Sunday. UCLA is now 16-2 in Big Ten play, and fully solidified as a top team in ESPN/USA Softball’s rankings.

9. Tennessee

Previous Ranking: No. 10 (+1)
Previous Week Record: 5-0 (3-0 in SEC)
Overall Record: 37-6 (12-6 in SEC)

Tennessee’s week started with a pair of midweek wins, beating East Tennessee State 12-0 on Tuesday and Kennesaw State 13-5 on Wednesday. The Volunteers then took a trip to Kentucky and won their way through a sweep for the 5-0 week. They won 5-0 on Saturday, 6-0 on Sunday and 10-3 on Monday to complete the weekend sweep.

10. Virginia Tech

Previous Ranking: No. 12 (+2)
Previous Week Record: 3-1 (2-1 in ACC)
Overall Record: 36-6 (11-4 in ACC)

Virginia Tech picked up a 7-2 win at Radford to begin the week, and then went to No. 21 Virginia for a rivalry series over the weekend. After losing 4-3 on Friday, the Hokies bounced back with a 5-2 win on Saturday and a 5-0 win on Sunday to come back and clinch the series victory. They now move up into the top ten.

ESPN/USA Softball Top 25 Rankings: 11-25

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

Others receiving votes in ESPN/USA Softball Top 25 Rankings: Louisville (13), Belmont (11), Clemson (11), Arizona State (8), Kansas (8), Marshall (5), Boston U (4), Southeastern Louisiana (3), Saint Mary’s (1)