Bill ConnellyMay 15, 2025, 08:05 AM ET
- Bill Connelly is a writer for ESPN. He covers college football, soccer and tennis. He has been at ESPN since 2019.
The Oklahoma Sooners can't do it again, can they? Coach Patty Gasso's program has won the past four NCAA softball titles, and after the Sooners survived their first trip through a rugged SEC schedule, they begin their quest for a fifth straight ring as the NCAA regionals begin on Friday.
Don't let the Sooners' title dominance distract you from just how deep college softball has become. This tournament boasts outstanding teams from the SEC, of course -- eight of the overall top 10 seeds are from the conference, and No. 5 Florida State and No. 11 Clemson represent the ACC.
West Coast Big Ten teams like No. 9 UCLA and No. 16 Oregon can smash the softball, as can other teams in the conference like Ohio State and Indiana. Meanwhile, some of the best pitchers are playing for teams like Texas Tech (NiJaree Canady), Arizona State (Kenzie Brown) and even Belmont (Maya Johnson).
Before we find out if someone can take down softball's crimson-and-cream final boss in Oklahoma City in a couple of weeks, let's start with regionals, which will air on the ESPN family of networks. Here's everything you need to follow as the postseason gets underway.
Jump to: Title favorites | Toughest regionals
Great aces | Best hitters
Games to watch
10 title favorites
With 14 of 15 SEC teams reaching the tournament field, the conference rules the softball roost. But each of the top four conferences -- SEC, ACC, Big Ten, Big 12 -- has at least one team you can talk yourself into making a run. Let's look at 10 top contenders heading into the tournament.
Oklahoma
45-7-1 | No. 2 overall seed | No. 3 in RPI | No. 1 in Warren Nolan's ELO rankings* | 22-7-1 vs. RPI top 50
The Sooners had to settle for the No. 2 seed after the SEC tournament finale against No. 1 Texas A&M was canceled due to weather. But that just means they get to play with a chip on their collective shoulder, right? They lost midseason series to both Tennessee and Alabama, but won nine of their past 11 SEC games to snag the No. 1 seed in the conference tournament. Like the 2024 team, this year's Sooners aren't quite as loaded with star talent as previous editions. But hey, last year's team won the title, too.
(* ELO ratings are a style of power ranking that amounts to a points exchange: The winner of a given game takes points from the loser. You get more points if you beat a good team, and you lose more if you lose to a lesser team.)
Texas A&M
45-9-1 | No. 1 seed | No. 1 in RPI | No. 2 in ELO | 27-9-1 vs. RPI top 50
Heading into 2025, it was easy to assume that OU's Red River rival, Texas, would be the biggest threat to the Sooners' reign. But since dropping a series to Florida in early March, Texas A&M is 24-5, and the Aggies snagged the No. 1 overall seed with a strong finish. In their past three games, they beat Tennessee 13-2, South Carolina 12-4 and Texas 14-2. They enter the NCAA tournament in "take no prisoners" mode.
Texas
46-10 | No. 6 seed | No. 9 in RPI | No. 5 in ELO | 25-10 vs. RPI top 50
The Longhorns have reached two of the past three national finals, and with veterans like pitcher Teagan Kavan and catcher Reese Atwood, the overall talent is obvious. But the Horns need to rediscover fifth gear: Since mid-April, they've gone just 8-7, dropping a home series to Tennessee, getting swept by Oklahoma on the road and getting pummeled by Texas A&M in the SEC tournament.
Florida
43-14 | No. 3 seed | No. 2 in RPI | No. 10 in ELO | 23-14 vs. RPI top 50
Florida's pitching isn't quite as reliable as the teams above on this list, but it can smash the ball. Among seeded teams, only Oklahoma boasts a higher team OPS. The Gators won a late-season series against Oklahoma by outsourcing them 20-14 in three games, and they have scored at least nine runs at least once in each of their past six SEC series.
(* OPS: on-base percentage plus slugging percentage, a good way of measuring an offense's combined efficiency and explosiveness.)
Florida State
46-9 | No. 5 seed | No. 4 in RPI | No. 6 in ELO | 19-8 vs. RPI top 50
After a bumpy early stretch, FSU has caught fire. In their past 26 games against Power 4 conference opponents, the Seminoles have lost four games by a total of seven runs and won the other 22 by 133 runs. When they get on top of you, things can get out of hand, as evidenced by scores like 16-3 and 11-3 over Cal, 13-2 over Virginia and 12-4 over Duke. Losing outfielder Kennedy Harp to a season-ending injury will hurt, though.
Arkansas
40-12 | No. 4 seed | No. 5 in RPI | No. 4 in ELO | 18-12 vs. RPI top 50
Like Florida, the Razorbacks also don't have the best pitching in the tournament, and their record against the RPI top 50 is a bit shakier than other top seeds. But also like Florida, they can hit. In Bri Ellis, they've got the best hitter in the nation, and they scored at least five runs in eight of their past 11 SEC games.
1:11
Highlight: Bri Ellis blasts walk-off grand slam as Hogs beat UGA in style
Courtney Day's fifth-inning homer ties it before Ellis' long ball seals the deal, lifting 5-seed Arkansas to a 5-1 second-round win over the hosting 13-seed Bulldogs.
Clemson
44-12 | No. 11 seed | No. 11 in RPI | No. 3 in ELO | 20-11 vs. RPI top 50
Coach John Rittman's Tigers are peaking at the right time. They've won 22 of 25, including late-season wins over both South Carolina and Tennessee, and in their journey to the ACC tournament title, they won both a wild, 10-9 track meet against Virginia Tech (they scored eight in the sixth) and a 2-1 pitchers' duel against Florida State.
UCLA
49-10 | No. 9 seed | No. 8 in RPI | No. 8 in ELO | 23-7 vs. RPI top 50
The Big Ten might not be as strong as the SEC overall, but coach Kelly Inouye-Perez's Bruins have played 30 games against the RPI top 50, and among tournament teams, their win percentage against those teams is worse than only Oregon's. The Bruins are balanced, too: Among tournament teams, they're seventh in OPS and ninth in OPS allowed.
Tennessee
40-14 | No. 7 seed | No. 7 in RPI | No. 9 in ELO | 16-14 vs. RPI top 50
The Volunteers' bats can go quiet sometimes, and their mediocre record against the top 50 is a reminder of that. But Karlyn Pickens might be the best pitcher in the country not named NiJaree Canady, and series wins over both Oklahoma and Texas serve as reminders that they can grind out victories over anyone in this field.
Texas Tech
45-12 | No. 12 seed | No. 17 in RPI | No. 7 in ELO | 16-11 vs. RPI top 50
To advance past the Red Raiders, you might have to beat NiJaree Canady twice. Oklahoma barely pulled it off when Canady was at Stanford. Tech served notice with an incredible Big 12 tournament run: In three games, including battles with tournament teams Arizona and Arizona State, they won by a combined 26-0.
Five toughest regionals
Some hosts have a bit more work to do than others this weekend. Advancing from these five regionals could be particularly tricky.
Tuscaloosa. Only one host isn't the best team in its region, per Warren Nolan's ELO power ratings: Alabama, the No. 15 overall seed. The Crimson Tide are 19th overall, behind a Virginia Tech team that ranks 15th and went 13-8 against the RPI top 50. (Bama went 17-20.) Belmont, with the best strikeout pitcher in the country (Maya Johnson), lurks as well. Yikes.
Baton Rouge. Southeastern Louisiana ranks 34th in the ELO rankings, just ahead of Auburn and Arizona State, who each received No. 2 seeds. SELA, however, is the 4-seed in a Baton Rouge regional that also features the third-best 2-seed (Nebraska). LSU lost 10 of its past 15 SEC games and now faces a particularly rough road.
Tucson. Arizona is No. 13 overall seed, which is apt for a team that ranks 12th in RPI and 13th in ELO. But the Wildcats might have to get past both Ole Miss (the sixth-best No. 2 seed, per ELO) and Grand Canyon (by far the best No. 3) to advance to their 10th super regional in the past 11 tournaments.
Knoxville. You like runs, right? All four of the teams in this regional rank among the top half of tournament teams in OPS, led by Ohio State (first in OPS). Karlyn Pickens is awesome, but Tennessee might have to prove it can win a track meet or two.
0:30
Tennessee's Karlyn Pickens throws fastest pitch in NCAA softball history
Tennessee pitcher Karlyn Pickens fires a 78.2 mph strike for the fastest-recorded pitch in college softball history.
Bryan-College Station. Liberty and Marist are two of the most intriguing mid-majors in the draw, and it's almost unfair that they were pitted against each other here. It's also almost unfair to top-seeded Texas A&M that the Aggies were handed not only the fifth-best No. 2 seed (Liberty), per ELO, but also one of the nation's best pitchers in Marist's Kiley Myers.
10 great aces
NiJaree Canady, Texas Tech (25-5, 0.81 ERA). Canady remains the gold standard. She leads the nation in ERA and batting average allowed (.147), and she's second in walks and hits per inning pitched (WHIP, 0.69) and third in strikeout rate (39.1%). Oh yeah, and she's allowed a total of one earned run in her past five appearances (24.2 innings).
Karlyn Pickens, Tennessee (20-8, 0.92 ERA). She's the best pitcher from softball's best conference. Among those with at least 50 innings pitched in SEC play, Pickens ranked first in on-base percentage allowed (.255), first in slugging percentage allowed (.239) and first in strikeouts (123).
Kenzie Brown, Arizona State (19-6, 1.29 ERA). Brown strikes out more players than even Canady (41.0%, second nationally), and she allows neither hits (sixth in batting average allowed) nor power (seventh in slugging percentage allowed).
Maya Johnson, Belmont (23-4, 1.24 ERA). The junior lefty pounds the strike zone: Johnson's struck out nearly half the batters she's faced this year (her 49.7% strikeout rate easily tops the nation), and she walks almost no one (her 2.7% walk rate is second). She's 3-1 against Power 4 conference opponents, too.
Sam Landry, Oklahoma (19-4, 2.04 ERA). The bespectacled Louisiana transfer isn't the most dominant ace OU has produced during its title run, but she's battle-tested and strong. In SEC play, she was first in complete games (12), first in innings pitched (100), second in WHIP (1.03) and second in ERA (2.24).
2:45
Superstar Sam Landry says Oklahoma's vibes are high
Landry joins Rally Cap to discuss how her teammates and coaches have helped her play at an elite level as the Sooners look to carry their momentum into the NCAA Tournament.
Emiley Kennedy, Texas A&M (21-4, 2.68 ERA). Like Landry, she's battle-tested. Kennedy will walk some batters here and there, but in SEC play, she still ranked third in OPS allowed (.647) while going 14-2 and pitching 97.0 innings.
Kiley Myers, Marist (21-1, 1.50 ERA). Myers' form dipped down the stretch -- of the 30 earned runs she's allowed, 23 came in her past 11 games -- but she came through in the MAAC tournament. She's second nationally in shutouts (10) and gives the Red Foxes a chance against anyone.
Autumn Courtney, FAU (29-3, 1.80 ERA). The Queens University transfer ranks third nationally in batting average allowed (.156) and fourth in OPS (.505). Courtney has only pitched 9.2 innings against power conference opponents (UCF and Kansas) but struck out 13 and didn't allow a single earned run.
Jordy Bahl, Nebraska (23-6, 1.65 ERA). Here's a fun combination: The former OU ace is both 10th in OPS allowed as a pitcher (.521) and 11th in OPS as a hitter (1.486). She's given up 15 home runs, more than you'd prefer, but she's countered that by hitting 19 of her own.
Teagan Kavan, Texas (21-4, 2.46 ERA). Like Myers, Kavan lost the plot late in the season. She allowed 24 earned runs in her first 24 appearances but has allowed 29 in her past eight. Her numbers were still among the best in the SEC, but she'll need to rediscover her confidence before a potential super regional matchup against Clemson.
10 great hitters
Bri Ellis, Arkansas (1.838 OPS, 26 HR, 72 RBI). Ellis is the best hitter in the country by a solid margin. Despite playing in the SEC, the 5-foot-10 senior led the nation in on-base percentage (.649) and slugging percentage (1.189) and was second in home runs (26) and walks (58).
Cori McMillan, Virginia Tech (1.661 OPS, 30 HR, 63 RBI). She's the only player to hit more home runs than Ellis (30), and she's second nationally in OPS (1.661) and total bases (172). She's stolen at least 14 bases in three straight seasons, too.
Jasmyn Burns, Ohio State (1.580 OPS, 23 HR, 69 RBI). The Buckeyes probably don't have the pitching for a major run, but they lead the nation in OPS, and Burns leads the team in the same category. She's third in total bases (156) and tied for fourth in home runs.
Reese Atwood, Texas (1.383 OPS, 17 HR, 71 RBI). After a star turn in 2024, the junior catcher was one of the SEC's best in her first year in the conference, too. In SEC play, Atwood ranked fourth in OPS (1.209), fifth in walks (20) and sixth in RBI (27).
1:07
Highlight: Reese Atwood makes Texas history with game-winning homer
In the sixth, Atwood comes in clutch with a two-run bomb and becomes the No. 5 Longhorns' all-time RBI leader with 201 to edge Kentucky, 7-6.
Taylor Minnick, Indiana (1.559 OPS, 16 HR, 63 RBI). The Big Ten can hit! Indiana's batting lineup doesn't go as deep as UCLA's, Oregon's or Ohio State's, but Minnick's a star. She's second nationally in extra-base hits (42), fourth in slugging (.980) and fifth in batting average (.473).
Haley Ahr, Marist (1.385 OPS, 12 HR, 61 RBI). Another Red Fox to remember. Obviously, Marist didn't play many top teams, but Ahr ranks first nationally in batting average (.527) and has struck out only five times all season.
Mya Perez, Texas A&M (1.408 OPS, 14 HR, 68 RBI). Everyone indeed wants to peak heading into the postseason, and like Texas A&M overall, Perez has done that. In her past eight games, she's 12-for-22 with two home runs, a double, 11 RBIs and six walks.
Megan Grant, UCLA (1.499 OPS, 23 HR, 73 RBI). The lefty pull-hitter has played All-American caliber ball for years now, and Grant's seventh nationally with a .957 slugging percentage. She'll need to steer out of a bit of a funk, though: She's 2-for-14 in May.
Nelly McEnroe-Marinas, Oklahoma (1.129 OPS, 14 HR, 45 RBI). OU overwhelms you with depth instead of star power -- no Sooners batter ranks in the national top 30 in OPS. But McEnroe-Marinas came on strong late, and in SEC play she finished first in extra-base hits (17) and second in both homers (11) and runs (27).
Savannah Kirk, Grand Canyon (1.088 OPS, 0 HR, 31 RBI). We need a slap-hitter on this list, and no one's better at it than Kirk. The 5-foot-4 sophomore is second nationally in batting average (.505) and fourth in stolen bases (47). If (when) she gets on base, she's going to be in scoring position quickly.
10 best first-round games
Friday will be quite the softball thrill ride, with all 32 first-round games scheduled to start between noon and 10 p.m. ET. Here are 10 games with either major upset potential or simple, high combined quality.
Auburn vs. USF (noon ET, ESPN). Auburn got into the field with a strong non-conference performance but went just 6-19 against the SEC. USF got knocked around by Florida and Texas this year but has won 13 of its past 15.
Liberty vs. Marist (1 p.m., ESPN+). Kiley Myers faces a Liberty team with five shutout wins in its past seven games. It would be disappointing if this one weren't a dynamite pitchers' duel.
UCF vs. Michigan (2 p.m., ESPN2). Michigan lost seven of eight in late April but shutout Oregon and UCLA to win the Big Ten tournament. Meanwhile, in Isabella Vega, UCF has a player who nearly made the great aces list above.
Georgia Tech vs. Florida Atlantic (2 p.m., ESPNU). FAU has Autumn Courtney and a 5-5 record against the RPI top 50. Georgia Tech is battle-tested ... but lost most of those battles: The Yellow Jackets are 6-18 against the top 50.
Kentucky vs. Northwestern (2 p.m., ESPN+). These teams have combined for nine super regional appearances in the past 10 years, and either could present a tricky test in a likely Saturday matchup with Clemson.
Georgia vs. Coastal Carolina (2:30 p.m., ESPN+). Georgia began the season 18-1 but got caught in the SEC undertow and finished 13-19. Meanwhile, Coastal only got eight shots at RPI top-50 teams but won six of them. The Chanticleers have won five in a row after a late-April funk.
1:04
Mic'd Up: Georgia softball's Dallis Goodnight
Take a listen as the Bulldogs prepare on the field for their first-round SEC Softball Tournament matchup vs. Kentucky.
Ohio State vs. North Carolina (4 p.m., ESPNU). Every Ohio State game is a potential track meet, and North Carolina is happy to score (and often allow) some runs in its own right. This one could light up the scoreboard.
LSU vs. Southeastern Louisiana (5:30 p.m., SECN). While SLU went just 0-4 against the RPI top 50 this season, that includes losses of 3-2 to LSU, 5-4 to Florida State and 3-2 to Texas A&M. The Lady Lions have a trio of dangerous pitchers (Macie LaRue, Britney Lewinski and Hallie Burns) and just enough offense to be a scary 4-seed.
Arizona State vs. San Diego State (10 p.m., ESPN2). This might be the best matchup of the day. Arizona State has Kenzie Brown, but SDSU ranks higher in both ELO (26th vs. 37th) and RPI (29th vs. 37th).
Ole Miss vs. Grand Canyon (10 p.m., ESPNU). ASU-SDSU might not even be the best 10 p.m. matchup. Both Ole Miss and Grand Canyon rank in the ELO top 25. While GCU isn't incredibly battle-tested this season, it beat UCLA and Virginia Tech in recent NCAA tournaments and scored a pair of shutout wins over Arizona State this year.
