Softball Rankings: Week 14
5/10/2011 12:00:00 AM | Softball
May 10, 2011
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - The Alabama softball team checked in at No. 4 in both the ESPN.com/USA Softball and USA Today/NFCA polls. Arizona State enters the final weekend of the regular season the unanimous number one team in the country.
After sweeping then-No. 11 Washington in three games last week, Arizona State (48-5, 15-3 Pac-10) was voted the No. 1 team in the ESPN.com/USA Softball Collegiate Top 25 Poll for the third straight week, announced today by the Amateur Softball Association (ASA) of America. No. 2 Michigan (49-4, 16-2 Big Ten) maintained the runner-up spot after a 5-0 weekend with wins over Big Ten opponents Ohio State and Minnesota.
No. 3 Florida (47-8, 21-7 SEC) made a big jump from No. 6 after sweeping then-No. 3 Tennessee (44-10, 20-8 SEC), in what was the final conference series before the SEC Tournament this weekend. Tennessee fell to No. 8 after losing three to Florida.
Arizona (39-15, 10-8 Pac-10), ranked No. 13 last week, re-entered the top 10 after a 2-1 weekend over then-No. 14 UCLA (32-15, 8-10 Pac-10). The Bruins fell one spot to No. 15 after losing 5-1 and 7-1, while recording one win, 5-1, against the Wildcats, now ranked No. 10.
After only one Big 12 loss all season, No. 7 Texas (45-7, 14-3 Big 12) suffered two conference losses in Week 13, a 5-1 loss to then-No.22 Texas A&M (39-18, 11-5 Big 12) and a 6-3 loss to then-No. 8 Missouri (43-7, 12-3 Big 12). They also defeated Missouri 2-0. Missouri remains eighth ranked while Texas A&M improved to No. 19.
No. 24 Auburn (38-16, 15-13 SEC) earned the series win over then-No. 16 Kentucky (36-13, 14-9 SEC) with a 2-1 record, moving the Tigers back into the Top 25. Kentucky dropped to No. 20. With Auburn returning to the top 25, last week's No. 24 Indiana (35-16, 15-3 Big Ten) dropped out, receiving votes this week after a 1-1 weekend against Northwestern.
Arizona State became the first team of 2011 to receive all 30 first-place votes in the latest USA Today/NFCA Division I Top 25 Poll that was released by the Association on Tuesday.
The Sun Devils (48-5) recorded their third Pac-10 sweep in as many weeks over Washington this weekend and now need to win just one of three games in their final conference series with Stanford to claim at least a share of the Pac-10 title. This also makes the third straight week and fourth overall that they have sat atop the national rankings.
In the rest of the top five, Michigan (49-4) followed Arizona State for the third straight week in second, while Florida (47-8) used a sweep of then fifth-ranked Tennessee (44-10) to move from fourth to third.
After claiming its second consecutive SEC regular-season crown, Alabama (45-7) jumped up two spots to fourth, while Texas (45-7) fell to fifth after losing to then 22nd-ranked Texas A&M (38-13) and splitting with ninth-ranked Missouri (43-7).
