UCLA’s loss was definitely Oklahoma’s gain. However, even before the Bruins went down in defeat to Oregon over the weekend the Sooners were making a strong case as the nation’s top softball team. On Tuesday the argument was won as OU topped the latest softball poll. The Sooners earned 27 first-place votes and 792 points to return to the top for the first time since May 6, 2019.
| RANK | SCHOOL | POINTS | RECORD | LAST WEEK |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oklahoma (27) | 792 | 12-0 | 2 |
| 2 | Arizona | 736 | 10-0 | 3 |
| 3 | Alabama (3) | 732 | 14-0 | 4 |
| 4 | UCLA (2) | 730 | 6-1 | 1 |
| 5 | Florida | 664 | 12-0 | 6 |
| 6 | Oregon | 636 | 9-0 | 8 |
| 7 | Texas | 598 | 8-0 | 7 |
| 8 | Washington | 576 | 13-2 | 5 |
| 9 | Oklahoma State | 549 | 13-1 | 10 |
| 10 | Kentucky | 475 | 14-0 | 12 |
| 11 | Arizona State | 445 | 10-1 | 13 |
| 12 | Louisiana | 441 | 9-3 | 9 |
| 13 | LSU | 432 | 10-5 | 11 |
| 14 | Duke | 356 | 12-1 | 16 |
| 15 | Virginia Tech | 355 | 7-2 | 14 |
| 16 | Florida State | 336 | 10-3 | 15 |
| 17 | South Carolina | 244 | 8-2 | 18 |
| 18 | Missouri | 243 | 12-2 | 20 |
| 19 | Georgia | 204 | 9-2 | 19 |
| 20 | Arkansas | 191 | 11-2 | 21 |
| 21 | Michigan | 149 | 4-2 | 17 |
| 22 | UCF | 127 | 9-2 | 22 |
| 23 | Iowa State | 110 | 13-2 | 25 |
| 24 | Auburn | 82 | 10-1 | NR |
| 25 | Tennessee | 49 | 12-1 | NR |
Sitting atop the latest USA Today Top 25 poll doesn’t really do justice to how dominant the Sooners have been to start the season. Especially when you consider these numbers.
At 12-0 on the season, Oklahoma has won ten games by run-rule and the Sooner pitching staff has tossed seven shutouts. Just last weekend alone OU went 5-0 in its trip to Arizona, winning all five games by a combined score of 68-7. Four of the five wins over the weekend were run-rule victories and three of them were by way of a shutout.
What makes this Sooner squad really stand out is how loaded they are. Not just from the plate either. OU bats have launched 44 home runs this season (an average of 3.6 per game) but the pitchers are squelching opposing offenses at an alarming rate as well.
This 2021 squad is as deep and talented as Patty Gasso has ever coached and it’ll be interesting to see how they compare week to week with the talent around the conference. The Big 12 currently has four teams in the Top 25 (OU, Texas, OSU, ISU) and Baylor just dropped out this week.
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How is Oregon below UCLA in the most recent standings? I get that itβs early but thatβs why movement is necessary. Reward the Ducks for their big win IMO