At the top of college softball, it was a topsy-turvy week.
Ten of the teams in The Oklahoman’s College Softball Super 16 moved two or more spots from last week to this week. Virginia Tech and Arkansas were the biggest risers, moving up three spots each, while half a dozen teams were the biggest fallers, dropping two spots each.
But even as a bunch of teams changed spots, there was increasing clarity on the top 16 teams — and quite possibly the teams that will receive national seeds and regional sites from the NCAA selection committee.
Fourteen of the teams in the ranking were on every ballot; the only exceptions were Stanford, Oklahoma State and Duke.
With just over a month left in the regular season, the teams in those top 16 spots seem to be solidifying, though the number of teams moving up and down this past week is a sign that seeding is still very much up in the air. And that will be important as the seeding will determine matchups and the top eight seeds have a chance to host regionals.
Another interesting aspect of this week’s poll: Texas, Oklahoma and Florida maintained their spots in the top three despite all suffering losses.
Texas lost to Mississippi State, OU to Tennessee twice and Florida to UCF.
Here’s a look at this week’s Super 16:
The Oklahoman's College Softball Super 16 poll
Team (first-place votes) Points, Record through Sunday, Last week’s ranking
- 1. Texas (9) 144, 34-3, 1
- 2. Oklahoma 127, 31-3, 2
- 3. ...
