Here are Week 5’s NFCA Division 1, 2 & 3 college softball team rankings as well as the players selected by NCAA coaches for their impressive play.

These polls are released on Tuesdays during the regular season. Records reflect games played through March 8.

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NFCA Division I Top 25 Coaches Poll

No. 1 Lady Vols open SEC with sweep of LSU to remain undefeated

Tennessee opened Southeastern Conference action with a home sweep of then-No. 17 LSU to remain No. 1 in the 2026 NFCA/GoRout Division I Top 25 Coaches Poll. For the second consecutive week, the Lady Vols (23-0) received all but one first-place vote.

Prior to the sweep of the Tigers, Tennessee edged Belmont in a pitcher’s duel at Sherri Lee Park Stadium.

A first-inning run was all the Lady Vols needed in a 1-0 win, marking their lowest run total of the season for a squad that averages seven runs per game. UT’s offense came back to life against the Tigers, scoring 24 runs on 31 hits, nine of which left the yard. 

Of the top 13, only Arkansas, which slipped to No. 8, suffered a defeat last week in its SEC series versus No. 15 Georgia.

The only movement in the top 16 was No. 7 UCLA overtaking No. 8 Arkansas and No. 14 Virginia and No. 16 Texas A&M switching spots.

Other programs that moved up more than one position this week were No. 17 Grand Canyon (27-0), No. 19 Stanford (14-6) and No. 22 UCF (22-5).

The seventh-ranked Bruins (21-3) ran their win streak 15 games, scoring 38 runs in a three-game Big Ten sweep of Wisconsin.

The Cavaliers (22-2) posted a 3-1 week, which included an ACC series win at RV North Carolina. The Lopes continue to hold the best record in NCAA Division I following a five-game sweep of the San Diego Classic.

The Cardinal swept Pitt in their Atlantic Coast Conference opening weekend, while the Knights went to Stillwater and took two of three from then-No. 19 Oklahoma State in Big 12 action.

No. 4 Alabama also stayed undefeated on the season with a SEC sweep at RV Ole Miss.

Other programs with 10-plus game winning streaks in the top 25 are No. 2 Texas Tech (25-1), No. 3 Texas (22-1), No. 6 Oklahoma (24-2), No. 9 Florida State (21-4) and No. 11 Virginia Tech (21-2) with the Longhorns extending their streak to 20 courtesy of a road sweep at No. 23 South Carolina. Additionally, RV North Florida is riding an 11-game win streak. 

The 2026 NFCA/GoRout Division I Top 25 Coaches Poll is voted on by 31 NCAA Division I head coaches with one representing each of the NCAA’s Division I Conferences. Records reflect games played through March 8.

2026 NFCA/GoRout Division I Top 25 Softball Coaches Poll

3/10/26 (Week 5)

Receiving Votes: North Carolina (34), Duke (26), North Florida (22), Utah (10), Florida Atlantic (6), Michigan (6), Penn State (6), Belmont (5), Auburn (4), Ole Miss (3), Southeastern Louisiana (3).

New to Poll: N/A

Dropped Out: N/A

The 2026 NFCA/GoRout Division I Top 25 Coaches Poll is voted on by 31 NCAA Division I head coaches with one representing each of the NCAA’s Division I Conferences. Poll will be released on Tuesdays at 10:00 a.m. ET during the regular season. Records reflect games played through March 8.

NFCA DI Top 25 Poll Committee

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2026 NFCA/GoRout Division II Top 25 Softball Coaches Poll

No. 1 Cal State San Marcos runs win streak to 20 games

Cal State San Marcos holds the No. 1 spot for a third straight week in the NFCA/GoRout Division II Top 25 Coaches Poll.

The Cougars (22-1) ran their win streak to 20 games following a four-game sweep of Stanislaus State during the opening weekend of California Collegiate Athletic Association play. The pitching staff added two more shutouts over the weekend bringing their season total to nine.

Below San Marcos, there was movement amongst the top 10 teams. No. 2 West Texas A&M and No. 3 Cal State East Bay flipped with Missouri Southern leaping to No. 4. The Lady Buffs improved to 21-3 with four Lone Star Conference (LSC) victories on the road, two each against Western New Mexico and Sul Ross State. Running its winning streak to eight, WT scored 64 runs last weekend, including 29 in game two against the Mustangs. The Pioneers (21-3) picked up an CCAA series win versus RV Cal State Dominguez Hills with three of the four games decided by two runs or less.

Missouri Southern (21-3) leaped into the No. 4 position after two victories over Minnesota State Moorhead and have won 15 of its last 17. North Georgia and AUM dipped one spot each to No. 5 and No. 6. The NightHawks (18-4) had their 15-game win streak snapped and dropped two games last week, while the Warhawks (17-4) went 4-1, sweeping Spring Hill and taking a Gulf South Conference series from Mississippi College.

Two teams that are on a roll right now moved up to No. 7 and 9, respectively, in Southern Arkansas and Saint Leo. The Muleriders (23-2) are riding a nine-game win streak, while the Lions (17-2-1) have won 12 straight. SAU swept Ouachita Baptist in its Great American Conference play, while Saint Leo swept Wilmington and Assumption in twinbills.

No. 8 Angelo State won three of four in LSC play, while Francis Marion slipped to No. 10, following a 4-2 week, which included Conference Carolinas splits with UNC Pembroke and Mount Olive.

A pair of programs on double-digit win streaks, Cal State Monterey Bay and Florida Tech, join the poll this week at No. 20 and 22. The Otters (19-4), who are on a 13-game win streak, made their last appearance in the 2018 preseason poll (No. 15), while the Panthers (17-3-1), who have won 11 consecutive, were ranked No. 9 in the 2020 preseason poll. Montevallo is back in as well, grabbing the No. 25 spot.

The 2026 NFCA/GoRout Division II Top 25 Coaches Poll is voted on by the NFCA Division II Top 25 Poll Committee. The committee consists of 16 NCAA Division II head coaches with two representing each of the NCAA’s eight regions. The poll is announced every Tuesday at noon ET during the regular season. Records reflect games played through March 8.

2026 NFCA/GoRout Division II Top 25 Softball Coaches Poll

3/10/26 (Week 5)

Receiving Votes: Findlay (18), Missouri Western (10), Pace (7), Cal State Dominguez Hills (4), East Stroudsburg (2), West Alabama (1).

New to Poll: No. 20 Cal State Monterey Bay, No. 22 Florida Tech, No. 25 Montevallo

Dropped Out: No. 15 Saginaw Valley State (8-8), No. 24 Pace (2-2), No. 25 UAH (19-7)

The 2026 NFCA/Go Rout Division II Top 25 Coaches Poll is voted on by the NFCA Division II Top 25 Poll Committee. The committee consists of 16 NCAA Division II head coaches with two representing each of the NCAA’s eight regions. Records reflect games played through March 8.

NFCA D2 Top 25 Poll Committee

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NFCA Division III Top 25 Coaches Poll

Virginia Wesleyan takes top spot in NFCA/GoRout Division III Top 25 Coaches Poll

Unbeaten Virginia Wesleyan was the unanimous choice to take over the top spot in the NFCA/GoRout Division III Top 25 Coaches Poll, the Association announced on Tuesday.

The (8-0) Marlins, who were the national runner-up to Trine last season, replace the Thunder in the No. 1 position, following Trine’s loss in the NFCA Division III Leadoff Classic presented by MaxBP over the weekend in Columbus, Ga.

Virginia Wesleyan logged six wins last week, including a sweep of then-No. 9 Christopher Newport by a 22-2 margin, and four victories at the Triangle Collegiate Softball Classic in Raleigh, N.C.

Reigning national champion Trine (11-1) slips to No. 2 following a 5-1 run at the Leadoff, that included a 6-4 loss on Saturday to eventual Leadoff titlist Berry (12-2).

The defeat ended the Thunder’s 22-game win streak, with their last loss coming last May in the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association Tournament, 8-7 to Adrian, a team Trine beat twice handily after that to win the conference tournament, and twice easily in the 2025 regular season.

Texas Lutheran (12-1) kept winning and gained two places to No. 3, while Saint Mary’s (14-2) stayed fourth in the poll after going 4-2 at the Leadoff, including a ranked victory over Emory.

Berry was the biggest mover of the week — 18 places — going from 23rd in the rankings last week all the way to No. 5 after winning five straight games at the Leadoff.

The Vikings lost their tournament opener, 9-6, to new No. 21 DePauw, but defeated Trine and shut out both then-No. 8 East Texas Baptist, 3-0, and Denison, 8-0, and rolled past Spalding, 12-2, and Bethel, 13-3, in five innings apiece, to close out a stellar performance at the showcase event.

WashU, at No. 6, also made a climb up the rankings — 12 spots — after running its perfect record to 10-0. East Texas Baptist (12-2) is the new No. 7 and Linfield (6-2) goes to eighth, while Huntingdon (13-2) moved up to ninth after dealing Saint Mary’s one of its two losses at the Leadoff.

Last year’s Leadoff champion, Redlands (11-4), stayed home in California and was 6-1 this past week to round out the revised top 10 teams.

Elsewhere, Tufts opened its season 5-1 at the Triangle Classic to enter in the No. 18 position, while DePauw (4-2) took down three ranked teams at the Leadoff to jump into the poll for the first time this season at No. 21. The Tigers defeated Berry, Saint Mary’s and Emory while in Georgia.

Eastern is the other newcomer to the rankings, coming in at No. 25 following a 7-1 start.

The NFCA/GoRout Division III Top 25 Coaches Poll is selected by 10 NCAA Division III head coaches representing the 10 NCAA regions. Current 2026 records are listed, with first-place votes in parentheses.

NFCA/GoRout Division III Top 25 Softball Coaches Poll – March 10, 2026

Others receiving votes: None.

Dropped out: Salisbury, Williams, Wisconsin-Stevens Point

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The NFCA (National Fastpitch Coaches Association) is the professional organization for fastpitch softball coaches. Known for its highly-regarded Louisville Slugger/Player & Wilson/Pitcher of the Week awards, the NFCA also educates and supports softball coaches on a variety of different levels: from webinars to legal counsel, to in-person events and the National Convention.