Week 1 is in the books for the NFCA Division 1 and 2 college softball seasons and each week we will honor those teams and players selected by NCAA D1 and D2 coaches for their impressive play.
These polls are released on Tuesdays during the regular season. Records reflect games played through Feb. 8, 2026.
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After the first weekend of play, Texas Tech is No. 1 in the 2026 NFCA/GoRout Division I Top 25 Coaches Poll. The Red Raiders (6-0), who received 25 first-place votes, are in the NFCA’s top spot for the first time in program history.
Last year’s national runner-up rattled off six wins last week, which included road wins at then-No. 11 Texas A&M (3-2) and McNeese (13-3). The Red Raiders also took care of business in run-rule victories over North Texas, ULM, Providence and Bryant. Texas Tech’s offense produced 64 runs, 12 home runs and an .854 slugging percentage.
Preseason No. 1 Texas (five first-place votes) landed at No. 2 following a 4-1 start to its season. The Longhorns split a pair of neutral-site contests with then-No. 10 Nebraska (15-10 & 5-8). They also took two from Washington and another versus UTSA.
NFCA Division I Leadoff Classic presented by MaxBP champion Tennessee comes in at No. 3. The Lady Vols (5-0), who earned one first-place vote, took home the 2026 title which included top-25 wins over then-No. 21 Liberty and then-No. 5 Oregon. They also topped BYU, Rutgers and Boston College as their pitching staff posted a 0.23 ERA with 12 hits allowed, nine walks, 42 strikeouts, and a .120 batting average against.
Florida and Tennessee are tied at No. 4. The Gators (5-0) collected five wins, including shutouts of Illinois State and Bethune-Cookman, while also defeating RV Michigan, USF and Kansas. The Sooners (3-1) edged RV Arizona State, 2-1, on the road to open their season and took two-out-of-three from No. 17 Arizona in Tucson.
The second half of the new top 10 features No. 6 UCLA, No. 7 Florida State, No. 8 Texas A&M, No. 9 Arkansas and No. 10 Alabama. The Crimson Tide catapulted up from No. 15 as they outscored the opposition, 51-6.
Also making significant improvements in the rankings were No. 12 LSU (6-0), No. 13 Stanford (5-0) and No. 14 Virginia Tech (5-0). The Cardinal, debuting their brand-new stadium, picked up two wins over then-No. 24 Oklahoma State, while the Hokies topped then-No. 12 South Carolina twice on the road.
Oregon and Ole Miss plummeted down the rankings. Preseason No. 5 Oregon dipped to No. 15 after a 2-3 showing at the NFCA DI Leadoff Classic, while the 21st-ranked Rebels opened their campaign at 3-2. Clemson also took a hit, falling five spots to No. 18.
Three programs – No. 23 Florida Atlantic (5-0), No. 24 Virginia (4-1) and No. 25 Southeastern Louisiana (4-2) – enter the rankings after receiving votes in the preseason. Liberty, Oklahoma State and No. 25 Ohio State dropped out.
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 Feb. 8, 2026.
2/10/26 (Week 1)
Rank | School (First Place Votes) | Points | Record | Prev. Ranking |
1 | Texas Tech (25) | 767 | 6-0 | 2 |
2 | Texas (5) | 720 | 4-1 | 1 |
3 | Tennessee (1) | 716 | 5-0 | 4 |
t4 | Florida | 655 | 5-0 | 6 |
t4 | Oklahoma | 655 | 3-1 | 3 |
6 | UCLA | 614 | 5-0 | 7 |
7 | Florida State | 580 | 5-0 | 8 |
8 | Texas A&M | 474 | 4-1 | 11 |
9 | Arkansas | 464 | 4-1 | 9 |
10 | Alabama | 454 | 5-0 | 15 |
11 | Nebraska | 427 | 3-2 | 10 |
12 | LSU | 426 | 6-0 | 16 |
13 | Stanford | 399 | 5-0 | 18 |
14 | Virginia Tech | 378 | 5-0 | 19 |
15 | Oregon | 355 | 2-3 | 5 |
16 | South Carolina | 262 | 3-2 | 12 |
17 | Arizona | 260 | 3-2 | 17 |
18 | Clemson | 242 | 3-2 | 13 |
19 | Mississippi State | 229 | 4-0 | 22 |
20 | Georgia | 199 | 4-1 | 20 |
21 | Ole Miss | 144 | 3-2 | 14 |
22 | Duke | 135 | 4-1 | 23 |
23 | Florida Atlantic | 96 | 5-0 | RV |
24 | Virginia | 93 | 4-1 | RV |
25 | Southeastern Louisiana | 65 | 4-2 | RV |
Receiving Votes: Oklahoma State (63), Grand Canyon (57), Arizona State (47), Michigan (36), Ohio State (20), Auburn (15), Michigan State (10), North Florida (6), Liberty (5), Nevada (4), Belmont (3).
New to Poll: No. 23 Florida Atlantic, No. 24 Virginia, No. 25 Southeastern Louisiana
Dropped Out: No. 21 Liberty, No. 24 Oklahoma State, No. 25 Ohio State
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 Feb. 8, 2026.
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UCLA’s Jordan Woolery and Belmont’s Maya Johnson collected the first weekly awards of 2026, earning Division I Louisville Slugger/NFCA Player and Wilson/NFCA Pitcher of the Week honors for contests played Feb. 5-8.
Woolery powered her way to the first award of the season, batting .667 with five home runs, including a grand slam, 14 RBI and a 1.800 slugging percentage. She also doubled twice, drew three walks and scored eight runs. The senior first baseman recorded multiple hits and homered at least once in four of UCLA’s five games. In her first two games, Woolery was a combined 6-for-7 with nine RBI, two long balls, one of which was a grand slam against Northern Colorado. She closed out the weekend with her fourth career multi-homer game, helping UCLA set the program’s single-game record for home runs (8).
Johnson was dominant in her opening weekend in the circle. The redshirt-senior hurler was 2-0 with a 0.50 ERA, 27 strikeouts and one walk. She twirled a perfect game against Missouri State and followed up with a complete-game 12-strikeout performance in a 2-1 win over No. 20 Georgia in Athens. Johnson fanned 15 Missouri State batters, including the side in the first and ended the complete game with just 83 pitches. In the program’s first-ever win over a nationally-ranked and an SEC program, Johnson scattered eight hits and walked one.
The awards are voted on by the NFCA Division I Top 25 Poll Committee, which features one member coach from each of the NCAA’s 31 conferences.
Selected Top Performances
Jalen Adams, Arizona – 2-1, CG, SHO, 2.72 ERA, win versus No. 3 Oklahoma, no-hitter versus Southern Utah; Bella Atkinson, Illinois State – .375, 2B, HR, 7 RBI, 4 R, .625 SLG; Reese Atwood, Texas – .500, 8 H, 3 HR, 10 RBI, 7 R, 3 BB, SB, 1.063 SLG, .600 OBP; Shelby Barbee, North Carolina – .714, 2 HR, 5 RBI, .778 OBP, 1.714 SLG; Reagan Bartholomew, Iowa State – .625, 4 2B, 2 HR, 5 RBI, 1.250 SLG; Tianna Bell, Arkansas – .611, 2 2B, 4 RBI, 11 H, 8 R; Taylor Biehl, Arizona – .333, 5 H, 2B, HR, 6 RBI, 3 R, grand slam versus Oklahoma; Kenzie Brown, Arizona State – 1-1, 1.05 ERA, 2 CG, SHO, SV, 13.1 IP, 6 H, 26 K, .130 opp. BA; Kenleigh Cahalan, Florida – .500, 3 2B, HR, 6 RBI, 4 R, .875 SLG, .579 OBP; Mya Clark, Memphis – .444, 2B, 3B, 2 HR, 5 RBI, 1.944 OPS, 1-0, 2.25 ERA, 3 K, 0 BB; Ariel Davis, Memphis – .471, 8 H, 2B, 2 3B, HR, 4 RBI, 7 R, .941 SLG; Bella Dean, North Dakota State – .500, 9 H, 4 HR, 2 2B, 9 RBI, 6 R, BB, SB, 1.278 SLG, .526 OBP; Bella Douglas, Purdue – .467, 7 H, 3 2B, 2 HR, 11 RBI, 8 R, 1.067 SLG, 5 BB, .600 OBP; Bella Duncan, Western Michigan – .462, 6 H, 2B, 2 3B, HR, 8 RBI, 1.077 SLG; Jazzy Francik, Florida State – 2-0, 0.00 ERA, 13 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 17 K, 3 BB, .070 opp. BA, 0 XBH; Kirsten Finarelli, Penn State – .368, 7 H, 5 R, 2B, HR, 4 RBI; Gabbie Garcia, Oklahoma – .429, 4 HR, 6 RBI; Caroline Grimes, UC Davis – 3-1, 3.00 ERA, 12 K, 3 BB; Ryley Harrison, South Alabama – 2-0, 1.19 ERA, 14 K, 17.2 IP, .191 OBP, 2 XBH; Sakora Harvell, Loyola Marymount – .444, 8 H, 2B, HR, 3 RBI, SB; Salen Hawkins, Alabama – .533, 8 H, 4 R, 3 HR, 7 RBI; Robyn Herron, Arkansas – 2-0, 1.68 ERA, 15 K, 0 BB, 4 H, 2 ER, 8.1 IP; Kelsey Hoekstra, Rutgers – 2-0, 0.60 ERA, 13 K, BB, 11.2 IP, no-hitter versus North Carolina Central; Belle Hummel, Ohio – .765, 13 H, 2 2B, 2 HR, 8 RBI, 4 BB, 0 K, 1.235 SLG, .810 OBP, 3-3 SB; Laney Jennings, USC Upstate – .563, 4 HR, 9 H, 6 R, 8 RBI, 1.313 SLG; Taryn Kern, Stanford – .733, 4 2B, 3B, HR, 5 RBI, 1.333 SLG, .778 OBP; Audrey Lowry, Oklahoma – 3-0, 0.47 ERA, 9 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 6 K, BB; Hailey Maestretti, Utah – 2-0, 2.05 ERA, 10 K; Jocelyn McClary, North Dakota State – 1-0, SV, 0.00 ERA, 14.2 IP, 14 K, 0 R, BB, SHO; Lindsay O’Dell, Loyola Marymount – 2-0, 0.00 ERA, SV, SHO, 6 H, 0 R, 0.55 WHIP, 0 XBH, .111 opp BA; Sidne Peters, Texas A&M – 1-0 0.62 ERA, 20 K, BB, 11.1 IP, 5 H, BB; Karlyn Pickens, Tennessee – 2-0, 0.00 ERA, 22 K, 7 BB, 14 IP, 7 H, R, 0 ER, 0 XBH; Moriah Polar, Purdue – .667, 12 H, 12 R, 5 RBI, 3B, HR, .944 SLG, .700 OBP, 3-3 SB; Sydney Potter, Southern Illinois – .471, 5 HR, 11 RBI, 1.938 OPS, 2B, 2BB, 1.412 SLG; Hannah Potts, Western Michigan – 2-0, 1.45 ERA, 13 K, 5 BB, 9.2 IP; Ariel Redmond, Houston – .545, 6 H, 2B, HR, 5 RBI, 6 R, .909 SLG, 2 SB; Kasey Ricard, Boston University – 3-1, 2.63 ERA, 29 K, 4 BB, 24 IP; Keagan Rothrock, Florida – 3-0, 1.19 ERA, 6 H, 22 K, 5 BB, .105 opp. BA; Gigi Solis, Houston – 1-0, 0.00 ERA, 4 K, 2 BB, 9 IP; Brianna Stanley, Wofford – .706, 12 H, 8 RBI, 6 R, 4 2B, 2 HR, 1.294 SLG, .737 OBP; Morgan Stiles, Mississippi State – .500, 2 HR, 4 RBI, 3 BB, 1.517 OPS; Gracyn Tucker, Georgia Tech – .353, 2B, 3B, 4 HR, 8 R, 11 RBI, 1.235 SLG; Micaela Wark, Texas A&M – .533, 8 H, 5 R, 8 RBI, 4 HR, 2BB, .588 OBP, 1.333 SLG; Hailee White, Utah – .500 2 3B, 2 RBI, 5 R, .900 SLG; Mia Williams Texas Tech – .688, 11 H, 6 2B, 3 HR, 13 RBI, 1.625 SLG.
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Auburn University at Montgomery Grabs Gold of No. 1 in the 2026 NFCA/GoRout DII Top 25 Coaches Poll
Following a 6-0 start to the season, Auburn University at Montgomery is No. 1 in the first 2026 NFCA/GoRout Division II Top 25 Coaches Poll of the regular season. Ranked No. 1 for the first time in Division II, the Warhawks (6-0) collected 13 first-place votes (395 points) and sit ahead of No. 2 Angelo State, who received the other three first-place votes (370 points).
The first week of rankings saw significant shifts from the preseason rankings as five teams from outside the top 10 are now inside it. Additionally, six programs joined the top 25 and six fell out, including No. 1 UT Tyler, No. 3 Western Washington and No. 9 Augustana.
AUM, which was ranked No. 12 in the preseason, opened 2026 with a pair of wins at the weather-shortened Gulf Shores Invitational, knocking off a pair of Sunshine State Conference foes, No. 20 Saint Leo, 4-1, and Florida Tech, 5-3 in eight innings. Off to their best start since 2021, the Warhawks stayed hot with four more wins at the Columbus State Invitational, scoring 10 runs in each of their wins over host Columbus State, Florida Southern, Tuskegee and Wingate, who did receive votes in the preseason poll.
With AUM on top, a familiar face, preseason No. 1 UT Tyler (6-4) fell out of the Division II poll. The Patriots, who received votes this week, are not ranked in Division II for the first time since the 2020 preseason poll. UT Tyler had been ranked in 79 consecutive DII polls dating back to Feb. 16, 2020, 78 of those in the top 10 and No. 1 24 times.
Angelo State and Cal State San Marcos rose to No. 2 and No. 3, respectively as they combined to go 17-2, while 2025 national runner-up Tampa fell two spots to No. 4 and Cal State East Bay catapulted to No. 5.
The Rambelles (9-1) opened 5-0 at the DII First Pitch Invitational and 4-1 hosting the ASU George & Ola McCorkle Challenge. ASU scored 71 runs and was a menace on the bases, swiping 33 in 35 attempts. Behind a solid effort from their pitching staff, the third-ranked Cougars (8-1) posted a 4-0 mark at the D2 West Coast Challenge, which preceded a 4-1 outing at the CUI Kickoff Classic. Cougar pitchers twirled four shutouts and recorded an 0.85 ERA over their first nine games.
The Spartans (4-2) rebounded from a season-opening sweep by new-No. 14 Oklahoma Christian with four wins last weekend. The fifth-ranked Pioneers (9-1), who also recorded four shutouts, notched 4-1 and 5-0 weekends at the CUI Kickoff and D2 West Coast Challenge, which included a 17-1 win over then-No. 3 Western Washington.
Off to 10-2 and 8-2 starts, West Texas A&M and Central Oklahoma moved up to No. 6 and No. 7. North Georgia and Saginaw Valley State slipped a few spots to No. 8 and No. 9, while Francis Marion held firm at No. 10.
Also making their way into the rankings this week are a pair of 10-0 teams, No. 11 Southern Arkansas and No. 24 Oklahoma Baptist. West Florida’s 9-1 start, which included a win over West Texas A&M and two over then-No. 23 Barry, has the Argonauts at No. 13. Concordia (9-3) joins the fray at No. 15, while the final two entries are No. 21 Colorado Christian (10-2) and No. 25 McKendree (6-2).
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 and records reflect games played through Feb. 8, 2026.
2/10/26 (Week 1)
RANK | TEAM | POINTS | RECORD | PREV. RANKING |
1 | AUM | 395 | 6-0 | 12 |
2 | Angelo State | 370 | 9-1 | 13 |
3 | Cal State San Marcos | 369 | 8-1 | 14 |
4 | Tampa | 346 | 4-2 | 2 |
5 | Cal State East Bay | 318 | 9-1 | 17 |
6 | West Texas A&M | 308 | 10-2 | 8 |
7 | Central Oklahoma | 299 | 8-2 | 11 |
8 | North Georgia | 298 | 4-2 | 6 |
9 | Saginaw Valley State | 269 | 4-2 | 5 |
10 | Francis Marion | 252 | 3-1 | 10 |
11 | Southern Arkansas | 249 | 10-0 | RV |
12 | Rogers State | 192 | 7-2 | 18 |
13 | West Florida | 186 | 9-1 | RV |
14 | Oklahoma Christian | 179 | 7-1 | 25 |
15 | Concordia | 160 | 9-3 | RV |
16 | UIndy | 151 | 4-0 | 22 |
17 | Missouri Southern | 118 | 10-1 | 24 |
t18 | Shippensburg | 113 | 0-0 | 7 |
t18 | Pace | 113 | 0-0 | 4 |
20 | Saint Leo | 101 | 4-1-1 | 20 |
21 | Colorado Christian | 90 | 10-2 | RV |
22 | Kutztown | 74 | 3-1 | 16 |
23 | Wilmington | 60 | 0-0 | 21 |
24 | Oklahoma Baptist | 55 | 10-0 | NR |
25 | McKendree | 39 | 6-2 | NR |
Receiving Votes: Northwest Nazarene (31), East Stroudsburg (19), Montevallo (17), UT Tyler (12), Augustana (11), Tusculum (6).
New to Poll: No. 11 Southern Arkansas, No. 13 West Florida, No. 15 Concordia, No. 21 Colorado Christian, No. 24 Oklahoma Baptist, No. 25 McKendree.
Dropped Out: No. 1 UT Tyler, No. 3 Western Washington, No. 9 Augustana, No. 15 East Stroudsburg, No. 19 Lenoir-Rhyne, No. 23 Barry.
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 Feb. 8, 2026.
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Southeastern’s McMurray, East Bay’s Quintero Nab 2026 Louisville Slugger/Wilson DII weekly honors
Southeastern Oklahoma’s India McMurray and Cal State East Bay’s Marissa Quintero captured the Division II Louisville Slugger/NFCA Player and Wilson/NFCA Pitcher of the Week honors for contests played Feb. 2-8.
Over a five-game stretch at the Alvy Early Memorial Classic, McMurray hit .600 (9-for-15) with four home runs, eight RBI and five runs scored. She slugged 1.400, drew three walks and registered a .667 on-base percentage. The senior from Dallas, Texas recorded four multi-hit games, homering in each of Southeastern’s last four games, driving in three runs against Washburn and Maryville.
Quintero, a 2025 NFCA All-American, picked up right where she left off last season, posting a 3-0 record with a 0.00 ERA and 19 strikeouts in 17 innings of work. Her weekend at the D2 West Coast Challenge was highlighted by a five-inning no-hitter versus then-No. 3 Western Washington in which she struck out nine and walked three. The junior hurler added complete-game shutouts against Biola (6 H, 6 K, BB) and Colorado Mesa (2 H, 4 K, 0 BB, 5 IP), earning the tournament’s Most Outstanding Pitcher plaudit.
The awards are voted on by the NFCA Division II Top 25 Poll Committee, which features two member coaches from each of the NCAA’s eight regions.
Selected Top Performances
Rosie Bartletti, Illinois Springfield – .500, 7 H, 2 2B, HR, 5 SB, 2-1, 0.00 ERA, 22 K, 7 H, 4 BB, 14.1 IP; Emma Brice, West Florida – .462, 6 H, 4 R, 3 2B, 3B, 2 RBI, 2 SB; Randi Crawford, Texas Woman’s – 1-1, 2.16 ERA, 10 K, 4 BB, 13 IP; Emily Davis, Missouri Southern – 2-0, 0.00 ERA, 17, 5 BB, 14.2 IP, SHO; Marissa Espinoza, Texas Woman’s – .436, 2B, HR, 3 RBI, SB, walk-off home run versus Maryville; Ellie Fryar, Mississippi College – .450, 2 2B, 3B, 2 HR, 6 RBI, hit for the cycle versus Southern Wesleyan; Katie Gray, Missouri Southern – .500, 2 2B, 4 HR, 5 R, 11 RBI, 1.375 SLG, .636 OBP; Kinsley Hill, Rogers State – 2-0, 0.00 ERA, 2 SHO, 8 K, 2 BB, 4 H, 10 IP; Shay Hollingsworth, Trevecca Nazarene – .769, 10 H, 4 2B, 3B, 8 R, 7 RBI, BB, 1.231 SLG, .786 OBP; Abbie Kegley, USC Aiken – 2-0, 0.00 ERA, 23 K, BB, 15 IP; Aalana Kimble, Saginaw Valley State – 3-0, 3 CG, 1.00 ERA, 0.88 WHIP, 16 K, 4 BB, wins over No. 15 East Stroudsburg and No. 23 Barry; Jenna Kosnoff, Maryville – .500, 2B, 2 HR, 4 RBI, 1.000 SLG; Taylor Lloyd, Montevallo – 2-0, SV, 2.33 ERA, 15 K, 4 BB, 18 IP; Peyton Namyslowski, Georgia Southwestern – .692, 2.099 OPS, 9 H, 3 HR, 8 RBI, 6 R, 1.385 SLG, .714 OBP, 2 SB; Harley Pruetting, Missouri Western – 2-0, 0.00 ERA, 4 H, BB, 15 K, SV; Gianna Russo, Nova Southeastern – .471, 8 H, 2 2B, 2 HR, 5 RBI, 5 R, .524 OBP, .941 SLG; Ciara Spencer, Western New Mexico – .565, 13 H, 2 2B, HR, 8 RBI; Bentlee Stiner, Montevallo – .500, 8 H, 2B, 3B, 2 HR, grand slam versus West Texas A&M, 10 RBI, 5 R, 2 SB; Gracelyn Wallace, Nova Southeastern – 3-0, 0.70 ERA, 20 K, 3 BB, 2 ER, 20 IP, wins over No. 5 Saginaw Valley State and No. 15 East Stroudsburg; Kara Wegienka, Columbus State – .714, 5 H, 4 R, 3 RBI SB.
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.
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