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Tennessee, Texas Tech, Belmont Top Softball America’s March Pitcher Rankings

The top three shouldn't come as a surprise.
Nicole Reitz|
Erin Nuwer has become a breakout star in 2026.
Erin Nuwer has become a breakout star in 2026. | Brett Rojo-Imagn Images

With a full month of college softball down, Softball America ranked the top pitchers going into the month of March. 

From underdogs to breakout stars to undefeated outings, the list is loaded with talent. Softball America used surface-level stats, advanced metrics, strength of schedule, eye-test, and a bit of what an athlete has done in the past to rank them after the first month of the season.

Take a look at the Top 10 pitchers and visit Softball America for the full list of 30 aces, along with the best two-way players in the nation. 

Top 10 Pitchers in College Softball 

  1. Karlyn Pickens, Tennessee, 0.62 ERA, 6-0, 1 SV, 45.1 IP, 66/20 K/BB
  2. NiJaree Canady, Texas Tech, 1.13 ERA, 8-1, 2 SV, 49.2 IP, 71/14 K/BB
  3. Maya Johnson, Belmont, 0.65 ERA, 8-0, 54 IP, 115/6 K/BB
  4. Erin Nuwer, Tennessee, 0.21 ERA, 8-0, 1 SV, 33 IP, 40/10 K/BB
  5. Teagan Kavan, Texas, 2.14 ERA, 8-0, 49 IP, 66/14 K/BB
  6. Vic Moten, Alabama, 0.32 ERA, 9-0, 43.2 IP, 52/12 K/BB
  7. Robyn Herron, Arkansas, 1.31 ERA, 8-0, 1 SV, 37.1 IP, 71/8 K/BB
  8. Peja Goold, Mississippi State, 0.62 ERA, 7-1, 2 SV, 45 IP, 61/13 K/BB
  9. Lyndsey Grein, Oregon, 1.94 ERA, 6-3, 39.2 IP, 54/12 K/BB
  10. Jocelyn Briski, Alabama, 0.91 ERA, 6-0, 30.2 IP, 55/2 K/BB

Maya Johnson, Belmont Bruins

Johnson is off to an incredible start in her final season with the Bruins. After a wild ride through the transfer portal and undergoing chemotherapy to manage Lupus this offseason, Johnson made a resilient return to the mound in her season debut, throwing her third career perfect game. The lefty struck out 15 and forced four groundouts and two flyouts on 83 pitches in the 9-0 win over Missouri State. 

Following the opening day statement, Johnson and Belmont went on to upset the now-ranked No. 12 Georgia Bulldogs 2-1. Johnson went the distance, allowing just one run on eight hits and one walk while striking out 12. The win marked Belmont's first victory over an SEC opponent and a top-25 win at the national level. 

Then, she threw a one-hitter with 13 strikeouts to take down No. 17 Mississippi State and grab the team’s second-ranked win of the year. 

Erin Nuwer and Karlyn Pickens, Tennessee Lady Vols

The undefeated Lady Vols hit a milestone in February, after all four major polls ranked them No.1 for the first time in program history. What makes the success so spectacular is that the Vols haven’t been completely reliant on 2025 SEC Pitcher of the Year Pickens. Instead, Nuwer has stepped up greatly. The sophomore picked up her eighth win of the season, combining for a no-hitter against North Carolina Central on Saturday. Her first start of the season was a no-hitter against BYU.

When Pickens is in the circle, though, she’s dealing like always. She earned her first save of the season in February against then No.11 Nebraska, holding the Cornhuskers hitless. On Saturday, she picked up her fifth win in 2026 against Penn State, holding the Nittany Lions to one run on three hits. 

Vic Moten, Alabama Crimson Tide 

As a freshman, Moten is on her way to becoming a legend in Tuscaloosa. She went 3-0 during the opening weekend, allowing just two runs over 15 innings pitched with 19 strikeouts. She threw three innings as part of the combined no-hitter with Braya Hodges in the season opener against Villanova. 

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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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