USA Today/NFCA Division I Top 25 Poll 

UCLA received 28 first-place votes to remain on top of the USA Today/NFCA Division I Top 25 Softball Poll for the fifth consecutive week, the association announced Wednesday. 

The Bruins’ run in the No. 1 position is the longest consecutive run at the top for a team this season, and the longest for UCLA since the first weeks of the 2004 campaign. 

The rest of the top four remained unchanged again this week, as Texas garnered two first-place nods to stay in second followed by Arizona, one of six Pac-10 teams in the top 10, and Alabama. 

Tennessee used a series win over LSU to move up one spot to fifth. California’s sweep of Arizona State moved the Bears up to sixth this week, leaping over Oregon State who fell two places to seventh after losses to Washington and UCLA. The Sun Devils landed at No. 9 this week, replacing Stanford after it went 1-3 last week to drop to No. 10. 

Fresh off capturing the Big Ten regular season title, Northwestern moved up two places to 11th, jumping ahead of LSU and Michigan contingents who fell to Nos. 12 and 13, respectively. 

The next four positions stayed unchanged from last week’s rankings, as Nebraska stayed 14th and Louisiana-Lafayette 15th. Texas A&M maintained its hold on the No. 16 slot, and Washington stayed at 17th with its win over the Beavers. 

Louisville, the Big East regular season champion, moved up one place to 18th as it took the position from a Baylor squad that slipped one place to No. 19. Big 12 foe Oklahoma moved back into the top 20 as it switched spots with Auburn. 

North Carolina, who did not compete this week, stayed at No. 22, while in-state foe N.C. State moved into a tie for 23rd with Fresno State after claiming its first ACC regular season crown. South Florida remained in the No. 25 position to round out the poll again this week.