Upsets Erupt Across Opening Weekend of College Softball
The 2026 season delivered a whirlwind of emotion in its opening weekend.
The buildup to February proved justified as established institutions revealed early cracks and emerging programs rose to the occasion.
Thursday's three upsets were just the beginning of a slew of unexpected outcomes on both sides of the scoreboard.
Here are all the results that have turned heads over the last few days:
Friday, Feb. 6
Boston University 2, No. 20 Duke 1 (Black and Gold Classic)
No. 9 Clemson 6, No. 5 Oregon 5 (NFCA Leadoff Classic)
No. 17 Arizona 11, No. 3 Oklahoma 6 (Candrea Classic)
No. 17 Arizona stunned No. 3 Oklahoma, 11-6, handing the Sooners their first loss of the Candrea Classic and the season, marking OU's earliest defeat since 2017 when they lost to second-ranked Auburn, 3-2, on Opening Day.
Oklahoma jumped out to an early 3-0 advantage, and led by as much as two runs, before a gritty Arizona squad put up a crooked number two in the fifth inning, followed by another six in the sixth.
The Wildcat offense was commanded by seniors Tayler Biehl and Grace Jenkins who combined for eight, an even four a piece, of Arizona's 10 RBI. Jenkins delivered four solid at-bats as the cleanup hitter, including a two-run home run, a bases loaded walk and a hard ground out that scored a run. Biehl's grand slam put an exclamation point on the Wildcat run production, while senior Jalen Adams performed six impressive innings of relief to earn the win in the circle.
GRAND SLAM TAYLER BIEHL. UNREAL. 🤯#NCAASoftball x 🎥 ESPN+ / @ArizonaSoftball
— NCAA Softball (@NCAASoftball) February 7, 2026
pic.twitter.com/1k7WN0IeA3
Saturday, Feb. 7
No. 23 Virginia 4, No. 7 Arkansas 2 (Kickin' Chicken Classic)
Auburn 10, No. 9 Clemson 5 (NFCA Leadoff Classic)
No. 11 Nebraska 8, No. 2 Texas 5 (UTSA Invitational)
No. 24 Virginia Tech 8, No. 16 South Carolina 5 (Gamecock Invitational)
No. 11 Nebraska toppled the defending national champions and top-ranked Texas Longhorns, 8-5, after falling 10-15 the night before. It was the first time the Cornhuskers ousted a No. 1 seed, having completed the feat in 2016 over Michigan.
Nebraska led early and often, scoring four runs right off the bat in the top of the first and again in the third. A solo shot from Jordy Frahm started the home run party for the Cornhuskers, followed by a pair of three-run bombs by Ava Kuszak and Emmerson Cope, enough run support for NU to stifle the Longhorns.
Frahm entered the circle in relief for freshman Alexis Jensen. NU's senior superstar hurdled four innings of shutout ball, scattered three hits, and tallied five strikeouts.
BIG win for the Cornhuskers 😮💨🌽
— espnW (@espnW) February 8, 2026
Nebraska takes down the defending national champs Texas 😤 pic.twitter.com/eMFKM9yUCc
Sunday, Feb. 8
Southeastern Louisiana 4, No. 5 Oregon 2 (NFCA Leadoff Classic)
Michigan State 5, No. 9 Clemson 2 (NFCA Leadoff Classic)
No. 22 Washington 3, No. 11 Nebraska (UTSA Invitational)
Belmont 2, No. 15 Georgia 1 (Red & Black Showcase)
The Belmont Bruins beat the No. 15 Georgia Bulldogs, 2-1, to close out the Red & Black Showcase. It was Belmont's first-ever triumph over an SEC contender and first win against a top-25 ranked program.
What turned out to be a low scoring game, saw most of the offensive action in the first two innings. Belmont's sophomore Rylee Spindler capitalized on a Bulldog error, then went yard on two pitches to put her team up early, 2-0. Georgia scored one in the bottom of the second, but zeros flooded the scoreboard for the remainder.
After tossing her second career perfect game against Missouri State on Friday, Belmont's Maya Johnson proved her stuff is no joke. She went the distance yet again, giving up just one run on eight hits, and fanned 12 to improve to 2-0 on the year. In 31 batters faced, she issued just a single base on balls.
BRUINS WIN 💪@BelmontSoftball upsets No. 15 Georgia, 2-1!#NCAASoftball pic.twitter.com/tQCYn1ta2C
— NCAA Softball (@NCAASoftball) February 8, 2026
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Maddy Lewis was a four-year starting infielder for UC San Diego Softball (2015–19), helping lead the Tritons to two conference championships, a West Region title, and a trip to the Division II National Championship in her senior season. She graduated from UC San Diego with a degree in Communication, where she also wrote for the student newspaper, The Guardian. After college, Maddy spent two years as a Sports Information Director, working closely with the softball, basketball and running programs, deepening her appreciation for the stories behind the stats. She has continued her playing career on the international stage as a member and captain of the Israeli Women’s National Softball Team for the past four years, facing top talent at European Championships, Canada Cups, and the Maccabi Games. Beyond competing, Maddy remains deeply committed to growing the game. She co-hosts the Jewish Softball: More Than A Game podcast, offers private instruction in the Bay Area and has coached teams at the Triple Crown Sports International Challenge and the JCC Maccabi Games. With a passion for storytelling and softball, she is dedicated to giving back to the sport that has shaped her both on and off the field and making an impact on the next generation in any way she can.
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