LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Oklahoma enters its 25th consecutive week at No. 1 in this week’s 2022 USA Today/NFCA Division I Top 25 Coaches Poll. The Sooners (42-1) have not relinquished their hold since ascending to the top spot on March 2, 2021.
OU rebounded from its first defeat of 2022 with a mid-week run-rule win at North Texas and a three-game sweep of Iowa State in Big 12 Conference action. At 42-1 this year, the Sooners have posted a 86-5 mark since taking over No. 1 last season with two of those defeats coming at the Women’s College World Series.
With then-No. 2 Alabama (39-8) dropping two games to Texas A&M and falling to the fifth spot, Virginia Tech, UCLA and Florida State each moved up one position in the rankings following 4-0 weeks. The second-ranked Hokies (36-6) went on the road and defeated then No. 15 Tennessee (33-13), 5-2, and swept Louisville in Atlantic Coast Conference play.
The No. 3 Bruins (36-5) topped San Diego and swept a Pac-12 series from RV Oregon State in Corvallis, while the fourth-ranked Seminoles (43-5) trumped Stetson and picked up three ACC victories over then-No. 17 Clemson.
No. 6 Oklahoma State and No. 7 Arkansas posted undefeated weeks. The Cowgirls (38-7) thumped Tulsa and earned three tightly-contested victories over then-No. 16 Texas. The Razorbacks (35-8) swept then-No. 8 Florida in a three-game SEC series. It marks the first time Arkansas earned a sweep of UF in a three-game series, including their first-ever series win in Gainesville. The last time the Razorbacks took a series from the Gators was a doubleheader sweep in 2000.
Northwestern elevated to No. 8 after a 4-1 week in Big Ten Conference action. Following a twinbill split at Illinois, the Wildcats (34-7) swept Indiana on the road. The Gators (35-12) fell to No. 9, while Washington came in at No. 10. The Huskies (28-11) took all three Pac-12 games from then-No. 19 Oregon in Eugene.
Stanford returned to No. 24 after a winnings its Pac-12 series against then-No. 13 Arizona State (32-7), while Nebraska, who had its 18-game win streak snapped at Wisconsin, exited the poll
The 2022 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 April 24.
2022 USA Today / NFCA Division I Top 25 Softball Coaches Poll
April 26 (Week 11)
Rank |
School (First Place Votes) |
Points |
2022 Record |
Prev. Ranking |
1 |
Oklahoma (32) |
800 |
42-1 |
1 |
2 |
Virginia Tech |
760 |
36-6 |
3 |
3 |
UCLA |
728 |
36-5 |
4 |
4 |
Florida State |
699 |
43-5 |
5 |
5 |
Alabama |
653 |
39-8 |
2 |
6 |
Oklahoma State |
650 |
38-7 |
6 |
7 |
Arkansas |
636 |
35-8 |
7 |
8 |
Northwestern |
548 |
34-7 |
10 |
9 |
Florida |
535 |
35-12 |
8 |
10 |
Washington |
515 |
28-11 |
11 |
11 |
Kentucky |
455 |
30-13 |
9 |
12 |
Duke |
417 |
36-7 |
12 |
13 |
Tennessee |
410 |
33-13 |
15 |
14 |
Arizona State |
392 |
32-7 |
13 |
15 |
Georgia |
342 |
37-11 |
14 |
16 |
Auburn |
297 |
36-10 |
18 |
17 |
Texas |
294 |
32-15-1 |
16 |
18 |
Clemson |
266 |
33-14 |
17 |
19 |
LSU |
226 |
30-17 |
21 |
20 |
Notre Dame |
190 |
35-9 |
22 |
21 |
UCF |
175 |
39-11 |
20 |
22 |
Oregon |
132 |
26-16 |
19 |
23 |
Michigan |
92 |
29-14 |
23 |
24 |
Stanford |
78 |
31-13 |
RV |
25 |
Arizona |
46 |
27-16 |
24 |
New to Poll: No. 24 Stanford
Dropped Out: No. 25 Nebraska
Receiving Votes: Missouri (23), Louisiana (18), Nebraska (14), Oregon State (6), Mississippi State (1), San Diego State (1), Texas A&M (1).
The 2022 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 April 24, 2022.
The NFCA (National Fastpitch Coaches Association) is the professional organization for fastpitch softball coaches. Known for its highly-regarded coaches polls and All-America awards, the NFCA also educates and supports softball coaches on a variety of different levels: from podcasts to awards, to in-person events and National Convention.
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