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Arkansas Softball Jumps to No.1 in RPI Standings

Nicole Reitz|
The Arkansas Razorbacks take the No.1 spot in the NCAA Softball RPI Rankings.
The Arkansas Razorbacks take the No.1 spot in the NCAA Softball RPI Rankings. | Gary Cosby Jr. / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The NCAA has released its Rating Percentage Index (RPI) for Division I softball games through April 14. 

RPI is a formulaic ranking system used by the selection committee to evaluate teams' resumes for tournament seeding, with a primary emphasis on teams’ Strength of Schedule. It consists of three weighted components: 25 percent team winning percentage, 50 percent opponents' winning percentage, and 25 percent opponents' opponents' winning percentage. 

With conference play halfway through, there have been some switch-ups to the rankings. Here’s a look at the Top 10 teams, their Strength of Schedule, and current overall record. To see the full list, visit the NCAA website. 

Top 10 Softball RPI Rankings 

  1. Arkansas (35-6)- SOS: 1 (Previous Rank: 1) 
  2. Texas (33-6)- SOS: 5 (Previous Rank: 3) 
  3. Florida (40-5)- SOS: 9 (Previous Rank: 4) 
  4. Nebraska (33-6)- SOS: 3 (Previous Rank: 5) 
  5. Alabama (39-4)- SOS: 19 (Previous Rank: 2) 
  6. Tennessee (37-6)- SOS: 21 (Previous Rank: 6) 
  7. Oklahoma (40-4)- SOS: 36 (Previous Rank: 7) 
  8. UCLA (38-5)- SOS: 33 (Previous Rank: 8)
  9. Texas Tech (42-3)- SOS: 63 (Previous Rank: 9) 
  10. Georgia (31-11)- SOS: 12 (Previous Rank: 10) 

Arkansas Razorbacks 

With conference wins over Alabama, Florida, Auburn, and Mississippi State, the Razorbacks have claimed the top spot. A walk-off blast from senior Dakota Kennedy grabbed the series win over the then No.5 Gators and solidified Arkansas’ power in the conference. 

Their next hurdle comes with a three-game series against the Oklahoma Sooners, who hold all the offensive power with leaders like Kendall Wells. She leads the league in home runs at 31. 

Texas Longhorns

Despite losing two games to Oklahoma and Alabama, the Longhorns have made a case for the No.2 spot. A previous 29-game winning streak with SEC victories over Texas A&M, South Carolina, and Ole Miss has helped their resume, but they’ll now face Georgia for another conference matchup. 

The reigning national champions have slipped in Softball America’s Top 25 rankings after the losses to the Sooners, but they remain far ahead of Oklahoma in Strength of Schedule. 

Florida Gators 

A series win over the Tennessee Lady Vols has boosted the Gators massively. They went on to lose games to Arkansas and Mississippi State, but have bounced back with a series sweep over South Carolina. 

The Gators will face Auburn for a three-game series over the weekend, before a mid-week matchup against the 36-7 Florida State Seminoles. 

Nebraska Cornhuskers 

The Cornhuskers have been rocking Big Ten play, allowing them to climb back up the RPI list. With a series win over UCLA and sweeps of Rutgers and Wisconsin through March and April, the Cornhuskers are in a great position to be Women’s College World Series (WCWS) contenders. 

Nebraska now faces Minnesota for a three-game series before taking on the 26-8 Omaha Mavericks for a mid-week matchup. 

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Nicole Reitz
NICOLE REITZ

Nicole Reitz graduated from Indiana University Indianapolis with a degree in sports journalism in 2022 and has been writing about softball and baseball since 2018 .Her work has been published in various publications like Softball America, the Indianapolis Star, and SoxOn35th.

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