To be the best in their conference would mean to be the best in the country right now for the Oklahoma Sooners.
The first ESPN / USA Softball Collegiate Top 25 of the season was released Tuesday with the Sooners at No. 3 behind fellow SEC programs Texas and Florida, respectively. The SEC had four of the top 5 teams with Texas A&M at No. 5.
Even beyond the top 5, the rankings were littered with SEC squads. The initial rankings featured 12 SEC teams, including No. 6 Tennessee, No. 7 LSU, No. 11 Georgia, No. 12 Alabama, No. 13 Arkansas, No. 16 Missouri, No. 19 Mississippi State and No. 24 Kentucky.
Auburn, South Carolina and Ole Miss are also receiving votes.
Week 1 @espn / @USASoftball Collegiate Top 25 🥎#NCAASoftball pic.twitter.com/8YROPdUf2l
— NCAA Softball (@NCAASoftball) February 11, 2025
The Sooners stayed where they were in the preseason rankings after going 6-0 during opening weekend.
OU started its 2025 season with a road trip through California, playing six games in four days. The Sooners handled Cal State Northridge, California Baptist, Cal State Fullerton and Loyola Marymount during the trip.
The Sooners needed extra innings to get past San Diego State and Long Beach State, though. San Diego State received votes in the preseason rankings but no longer are after losing to OU and Cal State Fullerton to start the season 3-2.
OU will again have a full wekend of softball. The Sooners will head to Waco, Texas, to play in the Getterman Classic, which is hosted by Baylor. OU will play four games between Saturday and Sunday, taking on both Baylor and Hofstra twice.