Texas Tech softball claimed its second consecutive Big 12 regular season title after sweeping Arizona State, climbing the 2026 college softball rankings on a 19-2 conference and 47-4 overall record.
The back-to-back titles mark a historic run for coach Gerry Glasco's program. Before his arrival, Texas Tech had never won a Big 12 championship. The Red Raiders swept both conference titles last season before making their first Women's College World Series run and finishing as national runner-up.
Behind ace pitcher Nijaree Canady, Texas Tech softball leads the Big 12 power rankings heading into tournament play. The team ranks among the nation's college softball elite after generating one of the best records in DI this year.
Oklahoma State softball now sits second in the conference rankings after catching fire down the stretch. The Cowgirls enter the final regular-season week riding a five-game winning streak — including a shutout victory over defending champion Texas on the road.
The hot streak pushed Oklahoma State from outside the NCAA tournament hosting bubble to firmly in the mix to host a regional competition, as the Cowgirls prepare to close out the regular season at home against Kansas.
Arizona ranks third in the Big 12 standings on a 34-13 overall and 15-6 conference record, followed by UCF at 36-14-1. Kansas sits fifth at 32-16, needing a strong finish to secure a path to the 2026 WCWS.
Where to Watch Texas Tech Softball in Big 12 Tournament Action
The Red Raiders clinched the crown with one week remaining in the regular season, earning the No. 1 seed for the Big 12 Tournament.
Texas Tech softball next faces the No. 8 seed on May 7th at 2:30 PM ET, with the Big 12 Tournament championship game airing May 9th at 12 PM ET on ESPN.
No. 21 Oklahoma State stunned No. 1 Oklahoma 6-4 in Wednesday night's Bedlam Classic. The Cowgirls scored in five consecutive innings to hand OU softball its first back-to-back losses of the NCAA softball season.
Ruby Meylan dominated for Oklahoma State, pitching a complete game, striking out nine batters, and improving her record to 18-6 on the year. The performance marked her 11th consecutive decision.
The Cowgirls jumped ahead early and never trailed, subsequently scoring at least one run in every inning after the first. The team combined for 10 hits with Rosie Davis, Lexi McDonald, and Tia Warsop recording two apiece while Karli Godwin added a solo home run in the third.
OU softball fought back with a pair of runs in both the third and sixth innings, as slugger Kendall Wells smashed a two-run homer in the third for her 32nd this season — claiming the fifth-most single-season home runs in NCAA DI history. Abby Dayton later doubled in two more runs in the sixth to cut the deficit to 5-4.
However, Oklahoma State answered with an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth before Meylan closed out the seventh with a perfect inning.
OU ace Miali Guachino took the loss for Oklahoma, falling to 12-1 after allowing four earned runs for her first loss of the season.
The upset marked Oklahoma State's eighth win over a No. 1 ranked team in program history. The Cowgirls last beat a top NCAA softball team in 2022, when they defeated OU in the Big 12 championship game.
Oklahoma softball was outhit 10-7 in the loss, as the Sooners move to 0-4 on the season when being outhit.
How to Watch Oklahoma Softball vs Arkansas This Week
Oklahoma won't have much time to dwell, as OU gears up to host No. 6 Arkansas for a three-game series starting Friday, live on ESPN2.
The 2025 NCAA softball season is off to the races, with early season stumbles from perennial powerhouses illustrating the sport's growing parity.
No. 6 Tennessee, No. 8 Texas Tech, and No. 10 Oklahoma State all suffered weekend upsets. Tennessee fell 7-1 to No. 17 Nebraska while Texas Tech lost 3-1 to No. 19 Mississippi State in extra innings.
The Cowgirls, subsequently, turned heads during last weekend's Puerto Vallarta College Challenge.
After claiming a 9-6 victory over No. 9 Florida State on Thursday, Oklahoma State then stranded nine baserunners en route to a 6-1 loss to unranked Louisiana Tech on Friday.
After righting the ship with a mercy-rule blowout against Northern Colorado on Friday, the Cowgirls' bats fell short in a run-rule loss to the Seminoles on Saturday.
The 2-2 season start cost Oklahoma State six spots in the rankings, sending them sliding from their preseason No. 4 position.
Top NCAA softball teams take aim at Clearwater's competition
The Cowgirls will have to get right back in the saddle. Oklahoma State will now join six other Top 25 programs in Florida for Thursday's Clearwater Invitational.
No. 4 UCLA and No. 5 Texas A&M plus the Cowgirls and Seminoles lead the 16-team lineup. The SEC's No. 12 Alabama, No. 16 Missouri, and No. 24 Kentucky will also compete.
The annual event often serves as a postseason preview. This year's field includes three of last year's Women's College World Series contenders, with 14 represented in the 2024 NCAA tournament.
How to watch NCAA softball at the 2025 Clearwater Invitational
All 40 games at the 2025 Clearwater Invitational will stream live across ESPN platforms. This includes 19 nationally televised matchups.
Clearwater runs Thursday through Sunday, with Oklahoma State kicking off the Top 10 action against UCLA at 3 PM ET on Friday. Live coverage of the Cowgirls vs. the Bruins will air on ESPN2.