LOUISVILLE, Ky. – LSU ran its undefeated start to 22 games and climbed to the No. 2 spot, while 10th-ranked Florida entered the top 10 for the first time in 2024 in this week’s USA Today/NFCA Division I Top 25 Coaches Poll. As Oklahoma continued its hold on to No. 1 with 23 first-place votes (791 points), the Tigers (22-0) picked up eight first-place nods and 769 points to leapfrog Texas.
The Sooners (22-1) cruised to four wins, including a three-game sweep of Iowa State in the first weekend of Big 12 play. Along with an 9-0 win over Texas A&M-Commerce, OU scored 48 runs and surrendered just four last week.
LSU played its first three true road games and came out on top with a SEC-opening sweep against then-No. 23 Kentucky. The Tigers weathered the Wildcats over the three-game series at John Cropp Stadium. They managed two weather delays in a 6-2 series opening win, used a seventh inning run to take game two, 4-3, and a six-run sixth to cap off the sweep of UK in the finale, 8-3.
Texas comes in at No. 3 following a 4-1 week. The Longhorns (21-2) picked up a pair of non-conference wins over then-RV Penn State and UTA before collecting a Big 12 series win at league newcomer Houston. After dropping the opener to the Cougars, Texas topped Houston 9-2 and 8-6.
Oklahoma State stayed put at No. 4 as it defeated Wichita State, 4-3 in eight innings, and clawed out a tightly-contested Big 12 series at No. 19 Baylor. The Cowgirls (20-3) sandwiched 4-1 (8 inn.) and 3-2 victories around a 2-0 triumph by the Bears (14-5) in game two.
Georgia returned to No. 5 after five non-conference wins in Athens. The Bulldogs (20-3) knocked off RV-Miami (13-2, 6-4), Furman (7-0) and Jacksonville State (9-0, 8-6) to reach the 20-win plateau.
Behind three shutouts against Elon (6-0) and South Dakota State (3-0, 7-0), No. 6 Duke improved to 19-1, while Washington dipped to No. 7 after going 2-1 at home against Arizona State in the first weekend of Pac-12 action.
Tennessee and Stanford remained at No. 8 and 9 going a combined 11-0 against non-conference competition, running their respective win streaks to 11 and 13 games.
The Gators (21-3) opened SEC play with two big road wins at then-No. 11 Alabama. UF blanked the Crimson Tide, 2-0 in game one and behind a seven-run fifth, run-ruled Alabama, 11-2 to capture the series. Keegan Rothrock’s game-one shutout was the first by a Gator freshman against the Tide in program history.
Outside the top 10, Texas A&M continued its ascension up the poll to No. 13. The Aggies (23-2) swept then-No. 23 South Carolina (3-0, 2-1 10 inn., 2-1) in their SEC opener, and coupled with a victory over North Texas, have won six straight and 11 of their last 12 contests. Boston University, which picked up four more wins last weekend, makes its first entry into the 2024 ranking at No. 24. Having yet to play a home game, the Terriers’ (17-1) lone defeat came on Feb. 24 at the hands of then-No. 8 Duke in Durham.
The 2024 USA Today / NFCA Division I Top 25 Coaches Poll is voted on by 32 NCAA Division I head coaches with one representing each of the NCAA’s Division I Conferences. Results are through March 10. The poll is revealed each Tuesday at 10:00 a.m. ET during the regular season.
2024 USA Today/NFCA Division I Top 25 Softball Coaches Poll
3/12/24 (Week 5)
|
Rank |
School (First Place Votes) |
Points |
Record |
Previous Ranking |
|
1 |
Oklahoma (23) |
791 |
22-1 |
1 |
|
2 |
LSU (8) |
769 |
22-0 |
3 |
|
3 |
Texas (1) |
738 |
21-2 |
2 |
|
4 |
Oklahoma State |
680 |
20-3 |
4 |
|
5 |
Georgia |
646 |
20-3 |
7 |
|
6 |
Duke |
638 |
19-1 |
6 |
|
7 |
Washington |
617 |
18-3 |
5 |
|
8 |
Tennessee |
586 |
18-4 |
8 |
|
9 |
Stanford |
558 |
18-4 |
9 |
|
10 |
Florida |
490 |
21-3 |
13 |
|
11 |
Missouri |
466 |
20-3 |
12 |
|
12 |
Clemson |
415 |
17-6 |
10 |
|
13 |
Texas A&M |
392 |
23-2 |
17 |
|
14 |
Alabama |
366 |
19-3 |
11 |
|
15 |
UCLA |
336 |
14-6 |
16 |
|
16 |
Florida State |
299 |
15-5 |
14 |
|
17 |
California |
293 |
21-4 |
15 |
|
18 |
Virginia Tech |
264 |
18-3-1 |
20 |
|
19 |
Baylor |
255 |
14-5 |
19 |
|
20 |
Arkansas |
209 |
20-5 |
18 |
|
21 |
Mississippi State |
150 |
19-4 |
24 |
|
22 |
Arizona |
106 |
19-5-1 |
21 |
|
23 |
South Carolina |
84 |
18-5 |
22 |
|
24 |
Boston University |
68 |
17-1 |
RV |
|
25 |
Auburn |
59 |
13-4-1 |
25 |
New to Poll: No. 24 Boston University
Dropped Out: No. 23 Kentucky
Receiving Votes: Oregon (51), Kentucky (45), Louisiana (16), Texas State (6), Grand Canyon (4), Miami (3).
The 2024 USA Today / NFCA Division I Top 25 Coaches Poll is voted on by 32 NCAA Division I head coaches with one representing each of the NCAA’s Division I Conferences. Records reflect games played through March 10. Poll is released on Tuesdays at 10:00 a.m. ET during the regular season.
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