USA Today/NFCA Division I Top 25 Poll
Ranking second a couple of times this season, the Texas Longhorns reached the top spot in this week’s USA Today/NFCA Division I Top 25 Softball Poll.
The Longhorns, 35-5, went 4-0 on the week and earned 11 first-place votes to bound from third and knock off UCLA for the No. 1 position. The Bruins received 16 first-place votes, but were unable to maintain the No. 1 position with a 28-2 overall mark.
UCLA moved into second after Tennessee was swept in SEC action by Alabama, who moved up two places to fourth. The Lady Vols fell to fifth, while Arizona improved one place to third after sweeping Louisiana-Lafayette to improve to 29-3 on the year.
Stanford moved down one spot to sixth, while fellow Pac-10 foe Oregon State moved up one place to seventh. The Beavers leaped over conference foe California, who fell one spot to eighth.
Arizona State improved to 34-3 on the week to stay at No. 9, and Georgia moved back into the top 10 for the first time since the preseason after improving one spot from last week.
LSU used a 5-0 week that included an SEC sweep of Kentucky to move up two spots to 11th, while Michigan stayed at No. 12 with a 17-9 mark. Louisiana-Lafayette had the biggest drop of the week, falling three places to No. 13.
Washington stayed steady at No. 14, while Texas A&M improved its position for the second straight week with a one-spot jump to No. 15.
Northwestern jumped two places to No. 16 after knocking off UCLA in one of its four wins on the week. Oklahoma, who suffered two set-backs to Missouri to open Big 12 play, fell to places to No. 17.
Auburn improved one spot to 18th, while Nebraska dropped a couple of places to No. 19. Louisville stayed in the top 20, maintaining its hold on the 20th position with a 19-4 mark on the season.
Baylor and Mississippi State both remained steady, coming in a 21st and 22nd, respectively. North Carolina moved up one place to 23rd, while Fresno State dropped one spot to No. 24. Georgia Tech moved back into the poll at No. 25, marking the Yellow Jackets’ first ranking since the preseason.
