College softball rankings: The top 25 teams after Week 2, plus players to watch
The first two weeks of the 2024 college softball season have brought a lot of movement to the ESPN.com/USA Softball Collegiate top 25.
The Oklahoma Sooners have stretched their winning streak to 62 games and sit on top, but who follows them?
The SEC has solidified itself as the best conference in the game, with 12 teams cracking the list. Teams like UCLA (3-4), Stanford (5-4) and Florida State (5-3) have all not lived up to their preseason hype, thus falling.
Although some of Saturday’s and all of Sunday’s games in the Clearwater Invitational were canceled due to rain, many of the teams impressed in the early games.
Here’s how the top 25 shakes out two weeks into the 2024 college softball season, plus players to watch.
Players to watch
Emiley Kennedy, P, Texas A&M. The junior lefty has helped lead the surging Aggies flawlessly. She owns a 4-0 record this season, including two complete game wins last week. Kennedy had a career-high 11 strikeouts against Oregon on Friday, then posted eight strikeouts against San Diego State the following day. She boasts the fifth-most innings pitched in the SEC (25.2), second-most strikeouts (35) and has a 1.09 ERA.
That WWWWWWWWinning feeling pic.twitter.com/oUNWUmj3Km
— Texas A&M Softball (@AggieSoftball) February 18, 2024
Rachel Castine, UT, Virginia Tech. She’s stepped up in a big way to start the Hokies’ 2024 season. Castine has 18 RBIs, the third most in the nation, and her five home runs tie her for the second most. She blasted her third grand slam over the weekend against Cal and earned her first ACC Player of the Week award after the first week of games.
LET EM’ KNOW RACH 😤
Castine goes yard and gives the Hokies a 5-4 lead! pic.twitter.com/8gdcOK0mpk
— Virginia Tech Softball (@HokiesSoftball) February 10, 2024
Full ranking
Here is the ESPN.com/USA Softball Collegiate Top 25 poll as of Feb. 20, plus information on each team’s next game.
All times Eastern.
1. Oklahoma (21 first-place votes)
2024 record: 9-0
Next game: vs. Mississippi State (Feb. 23), 8:30 p.m.
2. Texas
2024 record: 7-0
Next game: vs. Houston Christian (Feb. 21), 6 p.m. on Longhorn Network
3. Georgia
2024 record: 9-0
First game: vs. Virginia Tech (Feb. 23), 5:30 p.m. on SECN+
4. Washington
2024 record: 6-1
Next game: at Florida Gulf Coast (Feb. 20), 5 p.m on ESPN+
5. Tennessee
2024 record: 4-2
Next game: vs. Loyola Marymount (Feb. 23), 3:30 p.m.
6. Duke
2024 record: 8-1
Next game: vs. Villanova (Feb. 23), 7:30 p.m. on ACCNX
7. LSU
2024 record: 8-0
Next game: vs. Boise State (Feb. 22), 7 p.m. on SECN+
8. Oklahoma State
2024 record: 7-2
Next game: at Stetson (Feb. 23), 6 p.m. on ESPN+
9. Clemson
2024 record: 6-2
Next game: at Charlotte (Feb. 21), 4 p.m. on ESPN+
10. Alabama
2024 record: 10-0
First game: vs. North Alabama (Feb. 21), 4 p.m. on SECN+
11. Florida State
2024 record: 5-3
Next game: vs. Florida International (Feb. 22), 5 p.m. on ACCNX
12. Stanford
2024 record: 5-4
Next game: vs. Louisiana (Feb. 23), 12 p.m. on Longhorn Network
13. Missouri
2024 record: 10-0
Next game: vs. San Diego State (Feb. 22), 8 p.m.
14. Arkansas
2024 record: 8-2
Next game: vs. Illinois State (Feb. 22), 5 p.m.
15. Kentucky
2024 record: 6-2
Next game: vs. Akron (Feb. 23), 12:30 p.m.
16. Florida
2024 record: 8-2
Next game: at North Florida (Feb. 21), 4 p.m. on ESPN+
17. Texas A&M
2024 record: 9-0
Next game: vs. Southeastern Louisiana (Feb. 22), 6:15 p.m. on SECN+
18. South Carolina
2024 record: 8-1
Next game: vs. Furman (Feb. 21), 5 p.m. on SECN+
19. UCLA
2024 record: 3-4
Next game: vs. Nebraska (Feb. 23), 3:30 p.m.
20. Mississippi State
2024 record: 8-1
Next game: vs. UCF (Feb. 22), 2 p.m.
21. Virginia Tech
2024 record: 7-2-1
Next game: vs. Elon (Feb. 21), 4 p.m. on ACCNX
22. Baylor
2024 record: 3-3
Next game: vs. Oregon (Feb. 22), 8 p.m.
23. Arizona
2024 record: 10-1
Next game: vs. Drake (Feb. 22), 8 p.m.
24. Auburn
2024 record: 4-1-1
Next game: vs. Longwood (Feb. 23), 2 p.m.
25. Oregon
2024 record: 6-5
Next game: vs. UCF (Feb. 22), 5:30 p.m.
