Oklahoma Picked Unanimous No. 1 in USA Softball Top 25 Despite First Loss of 2022
The last undefeated team in college softball, the Oklahoma Sooners, fell to their rival Texas in Game 3 of their series this weekend, putting the first blemish on OU’s record now at 38-1.
While the Sooners won the series, Texas celebrated the win as if they had just won the national title, although there was more to the win than meets the eye.
Saturday’s victory over the Sooners was Texas’s first in the series since 2014, snapping a 23-game losing streak to the Crimson and Cream.
“Best (win) I’ve been a part of in my career,” pitcher Hailey Dolcini told the Austin American Statesman. “That’s easy said.”
While the blemish stands, the Sooners are still the standard in softball, and still ranked first in this week’s poll, receiving all 25 first-place votes.
The Longhorns got bumped from 18th to No. 16 after their win and now have a chance to build off the momentum against a 34-7 Oklahoma State team that comes in at No. 7 in this week’s poll.
This trio of Big 12 teams is proving to be among the nation’s best and will likely be fixtures late into the NCAA Softball Tournament next month.
Here is a look at the entire ESPN.com/USA Softball Collegiate Top 25
1.) (25) Oklahoma (38-1)
2.) Alabama (36-6)
3.) Virginia Tech (32-6)
4.) UCLA (32-5)
5.) Florida State (39-5)
6.) Arkansas (32-8)
7.) Oklahoma State (34-7)
8.) Northwestern (30-6)
9.) Florida (34-9)
10.)Arizona State (31-5)
11.) Duke (34-5)
12.) Kentucky (29-11)
13.) Georgia (35-9)
14.) Tennessee (29-12)
15.) Washington (25-11)
16.) Texas (31-12-1)
17.) Clemson (33-11)
18.) Auburn (32-9)
19.) UCF (37-10)
20.) Oregon (25-13)
21.) LSU (27-16)
22.) Michigan (26-13)
23.) Oregon State (31-12)
24.) Nebraska (33-9)
25.) Notre Dame (31-9)
Dropped Out: Stanford
New to Poll: Nebraska
Others receiving votes: Stanford (36), Arizona (26), South Florida (22), San Diego State (11), Mississippi State (10), Louisiana (9), Missouri (9), Illinois (8), USC Upstate (3).
