The 2024 Women’s College World Series is 58 days away, but who’s counting? All of March’s excitement, upsets and shuffle in the top-25 has brought the promise of an eventful remainder of the season.
With April here, the competition is sure to get tough as we are in the midst of conference play.
Oklahoma remains the best team in the game, but behind the Sooners has continued to adjust as the season moves on. After winning 24 consecutive games, LSU dropped four games and has slid down from its previous No. 2 standing. Texas, who took over the No. 1 spot in Week 4 after Oklahoma’s first and only loss, looked steady behind the Sooners for the past two weeks but dropped two games against Oklahoma State over the weekend. Where do the Tigers, Longhorns and other teams rank now?
Here’s the latest ESPN.com/USA Softball Collegiate top 25, plus players to watch as the season rolls on.
Players to watch
Nijaree Canady, P/UT, Stanford. If you aren’t watching Canady already, what are you doing? She’s been dominating in the circle and now she’s lighting it up in the batter’s box for the Cardinal. Over the weekend, she hit a solo home run, the first of her career, in a win against Arizona. Canady leads all pitchers with a .52 ERA and 172 strikeouts. She is a top candidate for 2024 player of the year thanks to her stellar performances.
NiJaree Canady has faced 26 batters.
She’s struck out 13 of them.#GoStanford pic.twitter.com/lkqgpEIPmc
— Stanford Softball (@StanfordSball) March 31, 2024
Jayda Coleman, OF, Oklahoma. Coleman has been top-notch for the Sooners this season. She boasts a .466 batting average, good for 11th-best in the nation, with eight homers and 27 RBIs. Over the weekend against Kansas, she smashed three home runs. In the outfield, she’s recorded 42 putouts on the year and has only committed one error. She’s hitting her stride and is on the hunt for her fourth-straight national championship.
𝐍🚫 ✈️#ChampionshipMindset | @jaydac00 pic.twitter.com/3UHshQeIwU
— Oklahoma Softball (@OU_Softball) March 30, 2024
Current top 25 rankings
Here is the ESPN.com/USA Softball Collegiate Top 25 poll as of April 2, plus information on each team’s next game.
All times Eastern.
1. Oklahoma (25)
Record: 34-1
Next game: at Texas (Friday), 6:30 p.m. on ESPNU
2. Duke
Record: 29-3
Next game: vs. Charlotte (Wednesday), 5 p.m. on ACCNX
3. Georgia
Record: 29-6
First game: vs. Mercer (Wednesday), 6 p.m. on SECN+
4. Tennessee
Record: 28-5
Next game: vs. Georgia (Friday), 6 p.m. on SECN+
5. Texas
Record: 29-5
Next game: vs. Oklahoma (Friday), 6:30 p.m. on ESPNU
6. Oklahoma State
Record: 17-2
Next game: at North Texas (Wednesday), 7 p.m. on ESPN+
7. LSU
Record: 29-4
Next game: vs. Louisiana Monroe (Tuesday), 7 p.m. on SECN+
8. Stanford
Record: 27-6
Next game: vs. Santa Clara (Tuesday), 8 p.m.
9. Washington
Record: 25-5
Next game: vs. Oregon (Friday), 10 p.m.
10. Florida
Record: 31-5
Next game: at Stetson (Wednesday), 6 p.m. on ESPN+
11. Missouri
Record: 29-7
Next game: vs. Southeast Missouri (Wednesday), 5 p.m.
12. UCLA
Record: 20-8
Next game: at Oregon State (Friday), 8 p.m.
13. Virginia Tech
Record: 25-8-1
Next game: at Liberty (Wednesday), 6 p.m. on ACCN
14. Texas A&M
Record: 28-7
Next game: vs. Prairie View A&M (Tuesday), 7 p.m. on SECN+
15. Alabama
Record: 29-8
First game: vs. Ole Miss (Friday), 7 p.m. on SECN+
16. Mississippi State
Record: 25-9
Next game: at UAB (Wednesday), 7 p.m. on SECN+
17. Clemson
Record: 24-10
Next game: vs. Furman(Tuesday), 6 p.m. on ACCN
18. Florida State
Record: 24-9
Next game: vs. McNeese (Tuesday), 8 p.m. on ACCN
19. Arkansas
Record: 26-9
Next game: vs. Missouri (Friday), 6 p.m. on SECN
20. California
Record: 26-10
Next game: vs. Saint Mary’s (CA) (Wednesday), 5 p.m.
21. Baylor
Record: 19-12
Next game: at Texas State (Wednesday), 7:30 p.m. on ESPN+
22. Oregon
Record: 20-12
Next game: vs. Washington (Friday), 10 p.m.
23. Texas State
Record: 29-8
Next game: vs. Baylor (Wednesday), 7:30 p.m. on ESPN+
24. Louisiana
Record: 29-8
Next game: vs. James Madison (Friday), 7 p.m.
25. South Carolina
Record: 26-10
Next game: vs. Winthrop (Wednesday), 6 p.m. on SECN+