Only a week removed from the No. 1. ranking, the LSU Tigers returned to the top spot in this week’s USA Today/NFCA Division I Top 25 Poll, announced Tuesday by the Association.
The Tigers (36-3), who received 21 first-place votes and 788 points, enjoyed a 4-0 week at home, which included a three-game SEC sweep of Mississippi (5-2 / 8-0 /8-2). They also earned a 7-3 non-conference win over Louisiana-Monroe.
Oregon garnered 10 first-place votes and 768 points after it won a key Pac-12 road series at then-No. 10 UCLA. The Ducks (32-5) bounced back from an 8-1 defeat in the opener with a 6-4 comeback victory in game two. Behind two grand slams and a Cheridan Hawkins’ two-hitter, Oregon won the rubber game and took sole possession of first-place in the league with a 10-0 triumph in five innings on Easter Sunday in Westwood.
Florida picked up the final first-place vote and 747 points. After winning a 2-1 eight-inning nailbiter against North Florida, the Gators (36-4) rolled through SEC foe South Carolina in a three-game sweep. UF outscored the Gamecocks, 45-5 in three straight run-rule wins (10-2 / 19-0 / 16-3).
Remaining at No 4, Michigan won a tough Big Ten road series at then-No 14 Minnesota. Following a 9-1 defeat in the opener, the Wolverines (33-6) scored nine runs in each of the final two games for 9-4 and 9-1 bounce-back victories.
Moving back into the top-five after sitting at No. 6 for six weeks is Oklahoma, which has won eight straight and 22 of its last 24. The Sooners (32-5) swept through Iowa State (4-2 / 8-2 / 16-1) in a Big 12 series and also defeated Central Arkansas (12-6).
Alabama, a four-week resident at No. 5, fell one spot to No. 6 after a 4-1 week. The Crimson Tide (29-9) opened with mid-week non-conference home wins over Mississippi Valley State (17-0) and Southern Miss (12-1) and closed out the week with a 2-1 SEC series win at No. 13 Kentucky (1-2 / 7-3 / 2-0).
Courtesy a game-three rally against No. 11 Tennessee, Auburn kept a firm hold on No. 7 with a 2-1 SEC series win. Following a split in the first two games, the Tigers (37-5) rallied from a 6-0 first-inning deficit, which was completed by a sixth-inning three-run home run, and defeated the Lady Vols (27-9), 12-9 at Jane B. Moore Field.
No. 8 Florida State (33-9) remained in its spot and No. 9 UCLA (31-8) shifted up one spot, while No. 10 Louisiana-Lafayette returned to the top-10 after falling out last week for the first time all season.
Kansas, which fell out last week, is back in the rankings at No. 25, while Texas dropped out after one week at the No. 25 spot.
The USA Today/NFCA Division I Top 25 Poll is voted on by 32 NCAA Division I head coaches, one representing each conference. Current 2015 records are shown and first-place votes are in parentheses.
USA Today/NFCA Division I Softball Poll – April 6, 2015
| 1 | LSU (21) | 36-3 | 788 | 2 |
| 2 | Oregon (10) | 32-5 | 768 | 1 |
| 3 | Florida (1) | 36-4 | 747 | 3 |
| 4 | Michigan | 33-6 | 689 | 4 |
| 5 | Oklahoma | 32-5 | 659 | 6 |
| 6 | Alabama | 29-9 | 652 | 5 |
| 7 | Auburn | 37-5 | 616 | 7 |
| 8 | Florida State | 33-9 | 542 | 8 |
| 9 | UCLA | 31-8 | 514 | 10 |
| 10 | Louisiana Lafayette | 30-5 | 505 | 12 |
| 11 | Tennessee | 27-9 | 480 | 11 |
| 12 | Georgia | 31-10 | 439 | 9 |
| 13 | Kentucky | 25-11 | 423 | 13 |
| 14 | Baylor | 27-7 | 388 | 15 |
| 15 | Minnesota | 30-7 | 374 | 14 |
| 16 | Arizona | 31-9 | 304 | 18 |
| 17 | UCF | 36-6 | 296 | 16 |
| 18 | Washington | 34-9 | 238 | 20 |
| 19 | Arizona State | 24-11 | 227 | 19 |
| 20 | California | 27-9 | 196 | 17 |
| 21 | Missouri | 25-8 | 169 | 21 |
| 22 | South Alabama | 27-7 | 125 | 22 |
| 23 | Texas A&M | 29-10 | 91 | 23 |
| 24 | James Madison | 29-6 | 79 | 24 |
| 25 | Kansas | 32-5 | 32 | RV |
New to Poll: No. 25 Kansas
Dropped out: No. 25 Texas (26-9)
Others Receiving Votes: Texas (19), Notre Dame (16), Mississippi State (7), North Dakota State (5), Western Kentucky (4), USC Upstate (2), Northwestern (2), Cal State Northridge (2), South Carolina (1), Virginia Tech (1).