Softball America Composite Rankings: Week 9

The rankings below are not indicative of the Softball America Top 25. The Softball America composite rankings average all major College Softball polls and the RPI and KPI rankings. All stats include games played from Monday to Monday each week and do not include Tuesday’s games.

Movers and Shakers of the Week

Arkansas continues to be one of the hottest teams in the country. With their series win over Florida, the Razorbacks move into the top 10 at No. 8 this week from No. 12 last week. Additionally, we have a new team in our top 25 with Florida Atlantic coming in at No. 25. The Owls currently have a three-game lead in the American Conference and have two Quad One wins to their credit. FAU could prove to be a tough out in the postseason this year.

Conversely, Arizona dropped from No. 10 to No. 13 in this week’s rankings. In some regards, that is a tough break for the Wildcats, who won two of three in their weekend series against Oklahoma State. However, at this time, there are about 13 teams that are worthy of the top 10, so Arizona is this week’s odd team out. Finally, Florida slides four spots from No. 1 to No. 5. The Gators were saved by their computer rankings, in which they were ranked number one in the KPI and number three in the RPI. The human ranking was not as kind as the Gators are around 8.5 as an aggregate.

These Bats are Trending Up at the Right Time

When it comes to the SEC conference, getting an opportunity to step out of conference play can be a welcome sight. For Oklahoma, that statement proved to be accurate. Over the three games played by the Sooners this week, they hit seven home runs and improved their team batting average by 15 points. This week provides a tough schedule as they face Oklahoma State in a midweek clash and head to the Rhoads House for a conference series with Alabama. The Sooners will face only Quad One (1-25 in the RPI) opponents for the remainder of the year.

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The Duke Blue Devils were left for dead a few weeks ago. However, they are now winners of eight straight games, and the increase in offensive production is a big reason for that. After once hitting under .300 as a team, that batting average has jumped up to .321 as a team. Ana Gold and D’Auna Jennings are giving the Blue Devils the production at the plate that they needed. It’s not out of the realm of possibilities for Duke to run that winning streak to 19 games to end the regular season. Duke faces Pittsburgh, Notre Dame, and NC State in conference play while also facing Charlotte and Campbell in midweek tilts.

UCLA is another team that has put the pedal to the metal on offense. They are hitting .356 as a team and averaging just over eight runs per contest. Of course, Jordan Woolery and Megan Grant are leading the charge in the power numbers. Woolery has hit 16 home runs and knocked in 58 runs, while Grant has 17 home runs and 57 RBIs. With the combination of what the Bruins have in the circle, if the bats can stay hot, they are a legitimate National Championship contender. If the season ended today, the Bruins might find themselves outside of the top eight to host nationally. However, with series coming up against Oregon, Michigan, and Washington, that can change in a big way.

Just Get it Back to Our Offense

South Carolina continues to prove week in and week out that they belong among the nation’s elite. In four games this week, the Gamecocks allowed just four total runs as they went 3-1. Jori Heard and Sam Gress have stepped up to be the co-aces in the circle. With an RPI and a SOS of 2 each, the Gamecocks appear to be a lock to host and, if the season ended today, would be a national seed.

The same story could be told of Virginia Tech. The Hokies are tied for first in the ACC and have one of the best records in the country at 32-5. Emma Lemley has been the workhorse in the circle with an era of 2.06 while going 14-3 in just over 108 innings pitched on the season. However, as a team, Virginia Tech leads our top 25 with 17 shutouts. Virginia Tech has an interesting trip to California the last weekend of April. However, the ACC could come down to a home series against Florida State to conclude the regular season.

Nebraska continues to be one of the most interesting teams in the country. They are probably on the outside of the hosting bubble, but they have a team that is capable of making it to the Women’s College World Series. This week, even in dropping a single game to Iowa, they managed to drop their team ERA from 2.61 to 2.46. The Cornhuskers have one of the best offenses in the country. If the staff pitching continues to improve, they can make life miserable for opponents in the postseason.

Conference Power Rankings: SEC | ACC | Big 12