LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Following the season-opening weekend of play, Oklahoma is the unanimous No. 1 team in the 2022 USA Today/NFCA Division I Top 25 Coaches Poll. It marks the 15^th straight week the Sooners are atop the Association’s poll.

The Sooners (5-0) went undefeated on their trip to California with four victories at the Mark Campbell Classic in Irvine, Calif., which included a 4-1 win over No. 3 UCLA. OU pitchers were dominant as they surrendered just an unearned run and 12 hits (.125 opp. batting average) over 29 innings of work. They posted four shutouts, one of which was a combined perfect game in the season opener at UC Santa Barbara.

Along with No. 2 Alabama, the top three spots remained the same and only two other teams – No. 9 Arizona and No. 15 Clemson – held their preseason rankings. Virginia Tech dented the top 10 at No. 8, while No. 24 UCF cracked the top 25 as the only newcomer to the poll.

The Crimson Tide knocked off the host Wildcats, 11-0, as part of their 4-0 showing at the Candrea Classic in Tucson, Ariz., while the Bruins (4-1) registered four shutout wins around their defeat by the Sooners.

No. 4 Florida and No. 5 Florida State each went undefeated with four wins. Gator pitching posted three shutouts and allowed just one run at the USF-Rawlings Invitational, earning wins over then-No. 16 Michigan (4-0), Illinois State (3-0) and the host Bulls (12-0). The Seminoles also recorded three shutouts as they hosted the JoAnne Graf Classic.

Washington moved into the No. 6 spot following a 5-0 showing at the Puerto Vallarta College Challenge. The trip was highlighted by a pair of big wins over then-No. 8 Arkansas (8-0 & 10-5) as the Huskie offense scored at least eight runs in all five outings.

No. 7 Oklahoma State slipped two spots after a 4-1 outing at Arizona State’s Kajikawa Classic. The Cowgirls knocked of the then-21^st ranked host Sun Devils, California Baptist, Utah and Missouri State with their loss coming at the hands of then-No. 20 Duke. 

The Blue Devils (4-1), along with No. 12 Oregon (5-0) made the biggest jumps this week, elevating six spots apiece.

The eighth-ranked Hokies (5-0) moved into the top 10 from No. 13, capping off an undefeated run at the Northern Lights/Southern Nights Invitational. Virginia Tech picked up two top-20 wins over then-No. 11 Missouri (4-3) and then-No. 19 Kentucky, while also earning wins over three Big Ten opponents – Wisconsin, RV Northwestern and Michigan State.

Arizona and Arkansas round out the top 10. The Wildcats (3-1) posted two big wins over Southern Utah (22-1 & 15-0) and a 1-0 shutout of New Mexico around their Alabama defeat. The Razorbacks (3-2) suffered two setbacks to Washington and earned wins over Rutgers, Memphis and Long Beach State.

The 2022 USA Today/NFCA Division I Top 25 Coaches Poll is voted on by 32 NCAA Division I head coaches with one representing each of the NCAA’s Division I Conferences. Records reflect games played through Feb. 13.

2022 USA Today / NFCA Division I Top 25 Softball Coaches Poll

February 15 (Week 1)

New to Poll: No. 24 UCF

Dropped Out: No. 24 Liberty

Receiving Votes: Northwestern (42), Auburn (30), Minnesota (22), Notre Dame (15), Illinois (12), USF (8), Liberty (6), Iowa State (5), Stanford (5), Tarleton State (3), Austin Peay (2), Alabama State (1). 

The 2022 USA Today / NFCA Division I Top 25 Coaches Poll is voted on by 32 NCAA Division I head coaches with one representing each of the NCAA’s Division I Conferences. Records reflect games played through Feb. 13, 2022.