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USA Today
3 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Top 10 College Softball recruiting classes for 2026
Top 10 College Softball recruiting classes for 2026 The 2025 Women's College World Series has been electric so far. The average margin of victory is just 2.36 runs per game. Tennessee's 11-3 win over UCLA is the only game with a margin of victory greater than three. Of the 11 games played pending Oklahoma vs. Texas Tech in the evening, there have been eight games with a margin of victory of two runs or less. Four of those games were one-run games. The level of competition in this Women's College World Series has been fantastic. And that's in large part due to the level of commitment athletic departments across the country are putting into softball. Programs across the country are investing more resources into facilities, recruiting at both the high school and transfer ranks, and developing that talent, raising the level of play across the sport. In the SEC, there doesn't seem to be a huge gap between the top teams like Oklahoma and Texas and those at the bottom of the standings. And down the road, the gap may close even further. Taking a look at Softball America and On3's recruiting rankings for the 2026 recruiting class, nine of the top 10 teams in the national rankings are from the SEC and 12 of the top 15. All 15 SEC programs rank inside the top 18 recruiting classes in the country with Alabama coming in at No. 18. The only non-SEC team to rank inside the top 10 is the Oregon Ducks, led by former Oklahoma assistant and player Melyssa Lombardi. Here's a look at the top 10 recruiting classes for 2026 according to Softball America and On3. Just missed the top 10: Arkansas, Cal, NC State, South Carolina, Kentucky. 10. Oregon Ducks No. of Commitments: 5 Blue Chip Prospects: 3 Top Rated Player: Bailey Goldberg, INF - No. 32 overall Under Ducks coach Melyssa Lombardi, the Oregon Ducks won the Big Ten in their first year in the league and were the only team in the Women's College World Series to rank in the top 10 in ERA, team batting average, and fielding percentage. The Ducks have three top-50 players committed to the class and are hoping to build off of their success in 2025. No. of Commitments: 7 Blue Chip Prospects: 5 Top Rated Player: Milan Torres, OF - No. 26 overall The Texas A&M Aggies had a great season, spending several weeks at No. 1, finishing in second place in the SEC and earning the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament. However, the Aggies had a disappointing College Station regional, getting upset by Liberty and earning the distinction as the only No. 1 overall seed to lose in the regional round. The Aggies recruiting class features three top-50 players. 8. Auburn Tigers No. of Commitments: 6 Blue Chip Prospects: 4 Top Rated Player: Cece Springfield, OF - No. 27 overall The Auburn Tigers had a disappointing 2025 season but that hasn't stopped them from putting together a strong recruiting class in 2026. The Tigers have four top-100 commitments in the cycle. 7. Ole Miss Rebels No. of Commitments: 12 Blue Chip Prospects: 5 Top Rated Player: Charli Calas, INF - No. 17 overall Ole Miss has 12 players committed in the 2026 recruiting class, which is more than any program inside the top 25. Six of those players rank inside the top 100 of Softball America and On3's recruiting rankings. The Rebels are certainly hoping a strength-in-numbers plan of attack pays off after a run to the Women's College World Series. No. of Commitments: 5 Blue Chip Prospects: 3 Top Rated Player: Kynzee Anderson, P - No. 10 overall Despite finishing 12th in the SEC during the regular season, the Georgia Bulldogs had a nice run in the NCAA Tournament. The Dawgs knocked of Durham regional host Duke and took Florida to a game three in the super regionals. Their recruiting class features three top-50 prospects, including the No. 10 overall player and No. 1 player in the state of Louisiana, Kynzee Anderson. 5. Tennessee Volunteers No. of Commitments: 4 Blue Chip Prospects: 3 Top Rated Player: Avary Stockwell, C - No. 13 overall Tennessee's class is smaller than the rest of the top five, but it has star power to it. Stockwell is the No. 3 catcher in the class and the No. 1 player in the state of Tennessee. 4. Texas Longhorns No. of Commitments: 6 Blue Chip Prospects: 4 Top Rated Player: Annie Abdullah, INF - No. 2 overall player The Texas Longhorns have two of the top five players in the class signed in the 2026 class in Abdullah and Grandview pitcher Madi Doty. 3. Florida Gators No. of Commitments: 6 Blue Chip Prospects: 6 Top Rated Player: Caroline Stanton, P - No. 1 overall Three of Florida's top four players in the class come from the state of Georgia, including the No. 1 overall player Caroline Stanton. They also pulled infielder Brooklyn Gidley out of College Station, Texas. Surprisingly, the Gators don't have a player from the state of Florida signed in 2026. 2. Oklahoma Sooners No. of Commitments: 6 Blue Chip Prospects: 6 Top Rated Player: Ki'ele Ho-Ching, INF - No. 2 overall The Oklahoma Sooners have recruited well across the country, bringing in the No. 1 player in California, Oklahoma, and Hawaii, the No. 2 player in Texas, and the No. 4 player in Arizona. Pitcher E.K. Smith out of Katy, Texas is considered the No. 6 pitcher in the country. 1. LSU Tigers No. of Commitments: 7 Blue Chip Prospects: 6 Top Rated Player: Samantha Alekman, C - No. 5 overall The LSU Tigers have five five-star prospects heading to Baton Rouge in the 2026 class, including four players in the top 10 and two of the top five pitchers in the class. Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow John on X @john9williams.
USA Today
4 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Oklahoma vs. Oregon live updates: Time, TV, latest odds for WCWS elimination game
Oklahoma vs. Oregon live updates: Time, TV, latest odds for WCWS elimination game Show Caption Hide Caption Texas Tech's NiJaree Canady and Tennessee's Karlyn Pickens lead WCWS players to watch The Oklahoman's Jenni Carlson highlights several Women's College World Series key players to watch. Oklahoma softball began the weekend well-positioned to win its fifth consecutive national championship. Now, the Sooners will end it trying to avoid elimination. One day after falling to archrival Texas 4-2, No. 2 seed Oklahoma will look to continue its journey in the Women's College World Series with an elimination game against No. 16 seed Oregon Sunday at Devon Park in Oklahoma City. The Sooners, the four-time reigning NCAA champion and the highest remaining seed in the NCAA tournament, had been 3-0 against No. 6 Texas this season and had never lost to the Longhorns in the WCWS until Saturday. WCWS SHOWDOWN: Former Oklahoma allies Patty Gasso, Melyssa Lombardi face off in must-win game Oregon, meanwhile, will aim to successfully fight off elimination for a second time after outlasting Ole Miss 6-5 Friday night in a marathon 10-inning victory. The Ducks lost their WCWS opener 4-2 to UCLA on a walk-off home run. Sunday's game will be a reunion of sorts. Oregon coach Melyssa Lombardi played for Oklahoma coach Patty Gasso with the Sooners and went on to serve as an assistant coach under Gasso for 21 years, from 1997-2018, before becoming the Ducks' head coach. Follow along here for the live score, updates, highlights, information on how to watch and more from Oklahoma and Oregon softball's elimination game at the 2025 WCWS: Oklahoma vs Oregon softball live score This section will be updated throughout the game Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 F Oregon — — — — — — — — Oklahoma — — — — — — — — Oklahoma vs Oregon softball live updates This section will be updated closer to first pitch. What time does Oklahoma vs Oregon softball start? Date : Sunday, June 1 : Sunday, June 1 Time : 7 p.m. ET : 7 p.m. ET Location: Devon Park (Oklahoma City, Oklahoma) First pitch for Oklahoma and Oregon's softball game in the 2025 Women's College World Series is set for 7 p.m. ET from Devon Park in Oklahoma City. Watch Oklahoma vs Oregon softball in the WCWS live with ESPN+ What TV channel is Oklahoma vs Oregon softball on today? TV channel : ESPN2 : ESPN2 Live stream: ESPN app | ESPN+ Sunday's WCWS elimination game between Oklahoma and Oregon will air on ESPN2. Kevin Brown (play-by-play) and Amanda Scarborough (analyst) will be on the call while Taylor McGregor will serve as the sideline reporter. Streaming options for the game include the ESPN app, which requires a valid cable login to access, and ESPN+ the latter of which serves as ESPN's subscription streaming service. Oklahoma vs Oregon softball predictions, picks, odds Odds are courtesy of BetMGM Moneyline: Oklahoma (-350) | Oregon (+250) Prediction: Oklahoma 7, Oregon 3 The Ducks have the benefit of an extra day of rest, but it won't be enough to power them past a Sooners team with more talent and more experience on the game's biggest stage. ANALYSIS: How Texas finally solved its Oklahoma mental hurdle' at the WCWS Oklahoma softball schedule 2025 Here are Oklahoma's past five results. To see the Sooners' full 2025 schedule, click here. Sunday, May 18 : Oklahoma 12, Cal 1 (5 innings) : Oklahoma 12, Cal 1 (5 innings) Friday, May 23: Oklahoma 3, No. 15 Alabama 0 Oklahoma 3, No. 15 Alabama 0 Saturday, May 24: Oklahoma 13, No. 15 Alabama 2 (5 innings) Oklahoma 13, No. 15 Alabama 2 (5 innings) Thursday, May 29 : Oklahoma 4, No. 7 Tennessee 3 : Oklahoma 4, No. 7 Tennessee 3 Saturday, May 31: No. 6 Texas 4, Oklahoma 2 REQUIRED READING: Oregon softball edges Ole Miss in extra innings at WCWS to keep season alive Oregon softball schedule 2025 Here are Oregon's past five results. To see the Duck' full 2025 schedule, click here. Sunday, May 18 : Oregon 10, No. 16 Stanford 7 : Oregon 10, No. 16 Stanford 7 Friday, May 23 : Oregon 3, Liberty 2 (8 innings) : Oregon 3, Liberty 2 (8 innings) Saturday, May 24: Oregon 13, Liberty 1 Oregon 13, Liberty 1 Thursday, May 29 : No. 9 UCLA 4, Oregon 2 : No. 9 UCLA 4, Oregon 2 Friday, May 30: Oregon 6, Ole Miss 5 (10 innings) WCWS schedule Women's College World Series: May 29-June 5/6 May 29-June 5/6 WCWS finals: June 4-5/6 The Women's College World Series began May 29 and will run through either June 5 or June 6. The WCWS three-game championship series will begin on June 4 and end on June 5 or 6, depending on whether the series concludes in two or three games.
USA Today
6 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Oregon vs Ole Miss softball live updates: WCWS game score, highlights
Oregon vs Ole Miss softball live updates: WCWS game score, highlights Show Caption Hide Caption Oregon softball talks Women's College World Series defeat vs. UCLA Oregon players and coach Melyssa Lombardi talk about the loss to UCLA in the first game of the Women's College World Series On May 29, both Oregon and Ole Miss began their respective journeys in the Women's College World Series with national championship dreams firmly intact. Just over a day later, one of them will be exiting the tournament, with their season abruptly over. After low-scoring losses on Thursday, the Ducks and Rebels meet Friday in an elimination game at the WCWS at Devon Park in Oklahoma City. REQUIRED READING: Oregon softball vs UCLA takeaways: 3 defining moments in Women's College World Series loss No. 16 national seed Oregon fell in heartbreaking fashion Thursday against current Big Ten and longtime Pac-12 foe UCLA, with the Ducks tying the game in the top of the seventh inning only for the No. 9 seed Bruins to turn around and get a walk-off, two-run home run in the bottom half of the inning for a 4-2 victory. Ole Miss was dealt a different kind of pain in a 1-0 loss to No. 12 Texas Tech on Thursday, managing only two baserunners and striking out 10 times against Red Raiders ace NiJaree Canady. Though the loser of the matchup will head home from the double-elimination tournament, the winner will play again Sunday against the loser of Saturday's game between No. 2 Oklahoma and No. 6 Texas, last year's WCWS championship series participants. Follow along here for the live score, updates, highlights, information on how to watch and more from Oregon softball's game against Ole Miss in the WCWS: REQUIRED READING: How Ole Miss softball will rely on past experience to rebound from Texas Tech loss at WCWS This section will be updated throughout the game Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 F Ole Miss 1 0 0 0 — — — — Oregon 2 0 0 — — — — — Oregon avoids what could have been a disastrous fourth inning, getting a groundout with two outs and the bases loaded. Ducks maintain a 2-1 lead heading into the bottom of the fourth. What a gritty performance from Ole Miss pitcher Brianna Lopez, who was faced with runners on second and third and only one out, but strikes out Dezianna Patmon — who had a two-run single in the first inning — and gets Kaylynn Jones to pop out to end the threat. The Rebels looked to pick up where they left off in the first inning, capitalizing on some defensive miscues from Oregon to get runners on first and second with no outs. From there, Lair Beautae grounded into a 5-3 double play and with a runner still at second, Aliyah Binford lined out to center field. Ole Miss ends the second inning in style, with Kai Luschar hitting a ground ball to short with a runner on first. Luschar is one of Oregon's fastest players, with 59 steals, but Rebels shortstop Angelina DeLeon fires a bullet to first base from her knees to just barely beat out Luschar. To the third inning we go. After a chaotic first inning, Oregon establishes some sense of order, with pitcher Lyndsey Grein retiring the Ole Miss batters in order. Oregon's deficit only lasted for so long. Leadoff batter Kai Luschar reached first base on an error and with runners on second and third with two outs, Dezianna Patmon capitalized, roping a single into left field that brought both runs home. The Ducks entered the day with the second-most runs of all Division I teams this season and in the first inning, they showed why. After getting shut out by Texas Tech in its first game in the 2025 Women's College World Series, it only takes Ole Miss one inning to get on the board. With a runner on third after some costly defensive mistakes from Oregon — an errant throw to first, a failed opportunity to finish off a run-down and a wild pitch — Persy Llamas rips a two-out, RBI single into left field to bring home the run and give the Rebels a 1-0 lead. Of historical note: it's Ole Miss' first-ever run in the WCWS. Here's a look at the lineup Oregon will be rolling out Friday against Ole Miss: Here's a look at the lineup Ole Miss will put out against Oregon Friday night: LF Jaden Pone RF Lair Beautae DP Aliyah Binford 1B Persy Llamas C Lexie Brady 2B Mackenzie Pickens 3B Ashton Lansdell SS Angelina DeLeon CF Taylor Malvin Brianna Lopez will be pitching for the Rebels as they look to avoid elimination. What time does Oregon vs Ole Miss softball start? Date : Friday, May 30 : Friday, May 30 Time : 9:36 p.m. ET : 9:36 p.m. ET Location: Devon Park (Oklahoma City, Oklahoma) First pitch for Oregon and Ole Miss' softball game in the 2025 Women's College World Series is set for 9:36 p.m. ET from Devon Park in Oklahoma City. The game was originally set to start at 9:30 p.m. ET, but was pushed back slightly due to the preceding Tennessee-Florida game. Watch Oregon vs Ole Miss softball in the WCWS live with ESPN+ What TV channel is Oregon vs Ole Miss softball on today? TV channel : ESPN : ESPN Live stream: ESPN app | ESPN+ Friday's WCWS elimination game between Oregon and Ole Miss will air on ESPN. Kevin Brown (play-by-play) and Amanda Scarborough (analyst) will be on the call while Taylor McGregor will serve as the sideline reporter. Streaming options for the game include the ESPN app, which requires a valid cable login to access, and ESPN+ the latter of which serves as ESPN's subscription streaming service. Oregon vs Ole Miss softball predictions, picks, odds Odds are courtesy of BetMGM Moneyline: Oregon (-165) | Ole Miss (+125) Prediction: Oregon 6, Ole Miss 4 The Rebels' bats won't be as silent as they were against Canady and Texas Tech, but they may not have enough firepower to keep up with the Ducks, the No. 2 team in Division I in total runs this season. Oregon softball schedule 2025 Here are Oregon's past five results. To see the Ducks' full 2025 schedule, click here. Sunday, May 18 : Oregon 15, No. 16 Stanford 5 (6 innings) : Oregon 15, No. 16 Stanford 5 (6 innings) Sunday, May 18 : Oregon 10, No. 16 Stanford 7 : Oregon 10, No. 16 Stanford 7 Friday, May 23 : Oregon 3, Liberty 2 (8 innings) : Oregon 3, Liberty 2 (8 innings) Saturday, May 24: Oregon 13, Liberty 1 Oregon 13, Liberty 1 Thursday, May 29: No. 9 UCLA 4, Oregon 2 Ole Miss softball schedule 2025 Here are Ole Miss' past five results. To see the Rebels' full 2025 schedule, click here.
USA Today
6 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Oregon vs Ole Miss softball live score: Updates, highlights, how to watch WCWS elimination game
Oregon vs Ole Miss softball live score: Updates, highlights, how to watch WCWS elimination game Show Caption Hide Caption Oregon softball talks Women's College World Series defeat vs. UCLA Oregon players and coach Melyssa Lombardi talk about the loss to UCLA in the first game of the Women's College World Series On May 29, both Oregon and Ole Miss began their respective journeys in the Women's College World Series with national championship dreams firmly intact. Just over a day later, one of them will be exiting the tournament, with their season abruptly over. After low-scoring losses on Thursday, the Ducks and Rebels meet Friday in an elimination game at the WCWS at Devon Park in Oklahoma City. REQUIRED READING: Oregon softball vs UCLA takeaways: 3 defining moments in Women's College World Series loss No. 16 national seed Oregon fell in heartbreaking fashion Thursday against current Big Ten and longtime Pac-12 foe UCLA, with the Ducks tying the game in the top of the seventh inning only for the No. 9 seed Bruins to turn around and get a walk-off, two-run home run in the bottom half of the inning for a 4-2 victory. Ole Miss was dealt a different kind of pain in a 1-0 loss to No. 12 Texas Tech on Thursday, managing only two baserunners and striking out 10 times against Red Raiders ace NiJaree Canady. Though the loser of the matchup will head home from the double-elimination tournament, the winner will play again Sunday against the loser of Saturday's game between No. 2 Oklahoma and No. 6 Texas, last year's WCWS championship series participants. Follow along here for the live score, updates, highlights, information on how to watch and more from Oregon softball's game against Ole Miss in the WCWS: REQUIRED READING: How Ole Miss softball will rely on past experience to rebound from Texas Tech loss at WCWS Oregon vs Ole Miss softball live score This section will be updated throughout the game Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 F Ole Miss — — — — — — — — Oregon — — — — — — — — Oregon vs Ole Miss softball updates This section will be updated closer to first pitch. What time does Oregon vs Ole Miss softball start? Date : Friday, May 30 : Friday, May 30 Time : 9:30 p.m. ET : 9:30 p.m. ET Location: Devon Park (Oklahoma City, Oklahoma) First pitch for Oregon and Ole Miss' softball game in the 2025 Women's College World Series is set for 9:30 p.m. ET from Devon Park in Oklahoma City. Watch Oregon vs Ole Miss softball in the WCWS live with ESPN+ What TV channel is Oregon vs Ole Miss softball on today? TV channel : ESPN : ESPN Live stream: ESPN app | ESPN+ Friday's WCWS elimination game between Oregon and Ole Miss will air on ESPN. Kevin Brown (play-by-play) and Amanda Scarborough (analyst) will be on the call while Taylor McGregor will serve as the sideline reporter. Streaming options for the game include the ESPN app, which requires a valid cable login to access, and ESPN+ the latter of which serves as ESPN's subscription streaming service. Oregon vs Ole Miss softball predictions, picks, odds Odds are courtesy of BetMGM Moneyline: Oregon (-165) | Ole Miss (+125) Prediction: Oregon 6, Ole Miss 4 The Rebels' bats won't be as silent as they were against Canady and Texas Tech, but they may not have enough firepower to keep up with the Ducks, the No. 2 team in Division I in total runs this season. Oregon softball schedule 2025 Here are Oregon's past five results. To see the Ducks' full 2025 schedule, click here. Sunday, May 18 : Oregon 15, No. 16 Stanford 5 (6 innings) : Oregon 15, No. 16 Stanford 5 (6 innings) Sunday, May 18 : Oregon 10, No. 16 Stanford 7 : Oregon 10, No. 16 Stanford 7 Friday, May 23 : Oregon 3, Liberty 2 (8 innings) : Oregon 3, Liberty 2 (8 innings) Saturday, May 24: Oregon 13, Liberty 1 Oregon 13, Liberty 1 Thursday, May 29: No. 9 UCLA 4, Oregon 2 Ole Miss softball schedule 2025 Here are Ole Miss' past five results. To see the Rebels' full 2025 schedule, click here.
USA Today
11-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
What channel is NCAA softball bracket reveal on today? Time, TV schedule to watch
What channel is NCAA softball bracket reveal on today? Time, TV schedule to watch Show Caption Hide Caption Oregon softball coach Melyssa Lombardi talks postseason play Oregon softball coach Melyssa Lombardi looks ahead to the post season ahead of the Big Ten Tournament. The road to the Women's College World Series starts Sunday. The full 64-team field for the 2025 NCAA softball tournament will be unveiled, with the selection show airing live after conference tournaments have been completed. REQUIRED READING: Can OU softball win SEC Tournament title? Patty Gasso, Sooners embracing uncertainties Sixteen teams will be selected as regional hosts for the tournament, with the winner of each four-team regional moving onto super regionals, where two teams will play a three-game series for a spot in the WCWS. From there, eight teams will compete in a double-elimination bracket for the right to advance to the three-game finals. Oklahoma is looking for an unprecedented fifth consecutive national championship in 2025, and it has a strong chance again at being the No. 1 overall seed on Sunday. But the Sooners have plenty of competition from within their own conference, which boasts the top six teams in the country, per USA/ latest 25 rankings. Here's how to watch the college softball bracket reveal on Sunday: Watch college softball selection show live with Fubo (free trial) What channel is college softball selection show on today? TV channel: ESPN2 The college softball selection show will air live on ESPN2 on Sunday. Where to watch college softball bracket reveal The college softball bracket reveal will air live on ESPN2, with streaming options available on the ESPN app (with a cable login) or Fubo, the latter of which offers a free trial to potential subscribers. What time is college softball bracket released? Time: 7 p.m. ET 7 p.m. ET Date: Sunday, May 11 The NCAA softball tournament selection show will air live at 7 p.m. ET on Sunday, May 11. When does the NCAA softball tournament start? Dates: May 16-June 5/6 The 2025 NCAA softball tournament will begin Thursday, May 16 with the regional round. From there, the tournament will advance through the super regionals to the Women's College World Series, which will take place starting on May 29. It will run through June 5 or 6, depending on whether the final three-game series needs the "if-necessary game."
