USA Today/NFCA Division I Top 25 Poll

The Pac 10 placed all eight teams in the latest edition of the USA Today/NFCA Division I Top 25, released Wednesday by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association. UCLA remains a solid No. 1, earning 24 of the possible 25 first-place votes. 

The Bruins have won nine consecutive games to begin the season, including four against teams ranked in this week’s poll. 

Arizona and California have posted 11-0 seasons to open their respective slates to stay at Nos. 2 and 3, while Oklahoma and Washington are tied for the fourth slot. 

The Sooners are 6-0-1. Oklahoma’s championship tilt against Illinois at the LSU-hosted Tiger Classic was called a 2-2 tie due to travel concerns, while Washington’s lone setback was a 5-3 loss to top-ranked UCLA in early-season tournament play. 

Georgia posted a 7-0 mark to open the season, and moved up one spot to No. 6 while the preseason No. 6, Alabama, split with Stanford and fell to seventh. 

The Cardinal moved up seven spots to No. 8 after an 8-1 start. Michigan and Louisiana-Lafayette rounded out the top ten. 

Florida State made the biggest jump in this week’s poll, moving up eight spots to No. 11. The Seminoles are off to an 8-0 start, highlighted by JoAnne Graf’s 1000th career fastpitch win last week against Mercer. 

Nebraska dropped four spots to No. 12 after a 2-3 start that included losses to UCLA, Notre Dame and Oregon State. LSU moved up one spot to No. 13, while Texas fell four spots to No. 14 after a 1-4 performance at the Fiesta Bowl Classic. 

Fresno State jumped seven spots to No. 16 after a 4-1 start. Cal State Fullerton dropped to No. 17 while Iowa shares the No. 18 ranking with newcomer Tennessee. The Lady Vols are off to an 11-1 start including a trio of no-hitters by freshman Monica Abbott. 

Oregon, DePaul, Arizona State and South Carolina remain in the poll. A pair of newcomers complete the poll, as Oregon State and Texas State-San Marcos hold down the final two spots. 

Oklahoma State (2-3), Southern Illinois (5-2) and Michigan State (2-1) dropped out of this week’s poll.