SOFTBALL

Texas softball becomes consensus No. 1 team in nation

Austin American-Statesman

As expected, Texas (35-6, 14-4 Big 12) enters this week’s action as the consensus No. 1 team in the nation after sweeping Baylor this past weekend.

Every other team ranked in the previous top five dropped at least one game last week.

The Longhorns received 24 first-place votes and 791 points while leapfrogging No. 2 Oklahoma (766 points, eight first-place votes) in the USA Today/National Fastpitch Coaches Association poll. Duke, Tennessee and Stanford rounded out the top five.

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Texas outfielder Ashton Maloney runs to first base in the Longhorns' win over Texas State at McCombs Field last week. Texas won all four of its games last week while becoming the consensus No. 1 team in the nation.

Texas remained No. 1 in the ESPN/USA Softball poll with 625 points and all 25 first-place votes. Oklahoma, Duke, Tennessee and Stanford round out the top five in the same poll.

Texas also tops the NCAA’s RPI rankings, followed by Oklahoma, Stanford, LSU and Duke.

All these lofty rankings bode well for the Longhorns’ hopes of seizing a coveted top-eight seed when the NCAA Selection Committee determines the tournament field next month. The top eight seeds host the first two rounds of the NCAA softball tournament, which precede the College World Series set for May 30-June 7 in Oklahoma City.

The Longhorns, who trail Oklahoma by one game in the Big 12, will continue conference play this weekend at Kansas.