The 2026 college softball season is finally here.
When the games begin Thursday, Feb. 5, all eyes will turn to the reigning national champion Texas Longhorns as they look head back to the Women’s College World Series and repeat under head coach Mike White. Winning back-to-back titles, however, is hard. Texas will be circled on every opponents’ calendar with each wanting a title of their own.
Will Texas Tech get back to college softball’s biggest stage and redeem itself with a title? Will head coach Patty Gasso and Oklahoma softball add to its eight-title dynasty? Or will another program knock off Texas and win it all?
Here are USA TODAY’s 2026 college softball preseason power rankings:
10. Nebraska Cornhuskers
Head coach: Rhonda Revelle
2025 regular-season record: 43-15
Postseason finish: Lost in NCAA Tournament Super Regionals to Tennessee
Led by senior pitcher Jordy Frahm, Nebraska is returning six players from its 2025 roster that achieved its best record since 2006 and eighth top 10 finish in program history. The Cornhuskers added seven players including freshman pitcher Alexis Jensen, a two-time Nebraska Gatorade Player of the Year. Nebraska will look to make another NCAA Tournament run.
Head coach Rhonda Revelle is tempering expectations and won’t project a ceiling for her team. ‘It’s not that we don’t have aspirations of being a really good softball team. We’re already a really good softball team,’ Revelle said. ‘Again, I think that just projects too far into the future, but my ceiling for this team is that they max out.’
9. Oregon Ducks
Head coach: Melyssa Lombardi
2025 regular-season record: 54-10
Postseason finish: Lost in WCWS double-elimination bracket play to Oklahoma
For the first time since 2018, the Ducks made it to the Women’s College World Series. Oregon tied a record for the second-most victories in program history with 54. However, getting back to that stage and winning a championship might be difficult.
Despite a solid offseason, where Oregon added several players, including Texas A&M utility Amari Harper, Cal utility Elon Butler and Notre Dame infielder Addison Amaral, the Ducks didn’t add a single left-handed pitcher to the roster. It’s something that could be noteworthy as the season presses on and the stakes get higher.
8. UCLA Bruins
Head coach: Kelly Inouye-Perez
2025 regular-season record: 55-13
Postseason finish: Lost in WCWS double-elimination bracket play to Tennessee
Inouye-Perez is entering her 20th season with the Bruins and has won two titles (2010, 2019) during her tenure. The Bruins best finish since 2019 was fourth place in the College World Series. That could change in 2026.UCLA is returning nine players from its 2025 roster including its All-American senior trio: pitcher Taylor Tinsley, utility Megan Grant and infielder Jordan Woolery. Tinsley’s 6.63 strikeout-to-walk ratio ranked fourth in the nation last season, and her 0.95 WHIP was good for eleventh. Grant and Woolery’s combined 167 runs batted in and 49 home runs were second in the nation among all duos.
7. Florida Gators
Head coach: Tim Walton
2025 regular-season record: 48-17
Postseason finish: Lost in WCWS double-elimination bracket play to Tennessee
Walton is seeking his third national championship with Florida, and first since the program went back-to-back in 2014 and 2015. ‘We’re never going to change. You know what the end goal is, and that’s to compete for a national championship,’ Walton said ahead of the season. ‘And if we’re not talking national championships, you’re probably not talking to me as the coach, it’s just who I am.’
Despite losing All-Americans Kendra Falby, Reagan Walsh and Korbe Otis, the Gators return 10 players from their 2025 roster. Among the returners under Walton is sophomore outfielder Taylor Shumaker, who led the team in home runs (22), RBI (86), runs (72), slugging percentage (.808) and total bases (164). Shumaker ranked seventh or better nationally in RBIs, runs and total bases production.
6. Arkansas Razorbacks
Head coach: Courtney Deifel
2025 regular-season record: 44-14
Postseason finish: Lost in NCAA Tournament Super Regionals to Ole Miss
The Razorbacks made their eighth-consecutive NCAA Tournament and fourth super regional appearance last season under head coach Courtney Diefel. Arkansas is returning seven players but will be without first baseman Bri Ellis, the 2025 Softball America Player of the Year. She played all 58 games for the Razorbacks, batting .440 with 26 home runs, 72 RBIs, 146 total bases and 68 runs scored.
“I do not think we are asking one player to do it, but we added two [transfers] who are incredible, and we added another year to the rest of the lineup,” Deifel said. “The big thing is we are filling her power numbers, filling her on-base. The thing I question is filling her leadership and personality; those are the things that are not considered when I get asked those questions.’
5. Florida State
Head coach: Lonni Alameda
2025 regular-season record: 49-12
Postseason finish: Lost in NCAA Tournament Super Regionals to Texas Tech
Florida State might have the biggest offseason change of any program in the country. It does not have a single transfer on its roster for 2026. What’s more, the program is bringing in nine freshmen. Head coach Lonnu Alameda will likely lean on outfielder Kennedy Harp and infielders Jaysoni Beachum and Isa Torres to help the roster make another NCAA Tournament run.
The Florida State trio combined to hit .384 for 19 home runs and 139 RBIs last season. Additionally, Harp and Torres hit .424 combined, the second-best batting average among returning duos in college softball.
4. Oklahoma Sooners
Head coach: Patty Gasso
2025 regular-season record: 52-9
Postseason finish: Lost in WCWS double-elimination bracket play to Texas Tech
Perhaps no program has been as dominant as Patty Gasso and Oklahoma over the last decade. Gasso has six championships in the last 10 seasons, including four consecutive trophies from 2021 to 2024. When the 2026 season begins, the Sooners will push for their ninth WCWS title under Gasso.
While Oklahoma won’t have ace pitcher Sam Landry and first baseman Cydney Sanders in the fold this year, it returns much of the core from its 2025 season including utility Ella Parker, outfielder Kasidi Pickering and infielder Gabbie Garcia. Parker (.423), Pickering (.392) and Garcia (.351) led the Sooners in batting average. Garcia also led Oklahoma in home runs (20) and RBIs (58).
3. Tennessee Lady Volunteers
Head coach: Karen Weekly
2025 regular-season record: 47-17
Postseason finish: Lost in WCWS double-elimination bracket play to Texas
Tennessee will look different this season without third baseman Taylor Pannell, who transferred to Texas Tech, infielder McKenna Gibson and Sophia Nugent. However, the Lady Volunteers are returning 14 players from their WCWS team.
Tennessee is led by two-time SEC Pitcher of the Year Karlyn Pickens, who set a record last season for the fastest pitch in college softball history. Head coach Karen Weekly’s roster also includes six freshmen, headlined by catcher Ella Morrison, who Tennessee hopes will be its starting catcher. ‘She’s got an arm. She makes all the throws,’ Weekly said. ‘She’s learning to run the field well. But like with any freshman, a lot of things we’re doing and we’re asking of them, they’ve never done before. But she doesn’t shy away from that; she embraces all the coaching.’
2. Texas Longhorns
Head coach: Mike White
2025 regular-season record: 56-12
Postseason finish: Won the national championship
With 10 returning players from its championship roster, Texas will look to repeat. However, it could prove to be much harder, given the Longhorns’ challenging schedule. Texas will play 36 teams that qualified for the NCAA Tournament last year, including 20 matchups against programs that made it to the super regionals. Third baseman Mia Scott, who led the team in batting average (.446), is now playing professionally.
Ace pitcher Teagan Kavan and catcher Reese Atwood do return. Last season, Kavan had a 28-5 record with a 2.16 ERA and 230 strikeouts. She also allowed no earned runs in nearly 32 innings during the WCWS. Atwood was named the NFCA Catcher of the Year after leading the Longhorns in home runs (21), RBIs (89), slugging percentage (.822) and walks (41).
1. Texas Tech Red Raiders
Head coach: Gerry Glasco
2025 regular season record: 54-14
Postseason finish: National championship runner-up
Texas Tech has seven new players on their roster and plenty of talent to help win it all. Head coach Gerry Glasco’s newcomers include All-Americans Mia Williams (Florida), Taylor Pannell (Tennessee) and Jasmyn Burns (Ohio State). Kaitlyn Terry (UCLA), Lagi Quiroga (Cal) and Jackie Lis and Desirae Spearman (Southern Illinois) also joined the Red Raiders. Terry is another ace pitcher to pair with superstar Nijaree Canady, and Spearman could provide critical depth behind Canady as well.
