Texas A&M softball: Aggies stay No. 1 in NFCA poll as regular season nears end

[ASFN Admin]

After being the No. 1 team in college softball last week, Texas A&M softball remained No. 1.

But only in one poll.

A&M (39-6, 13-4) was the No. 1 team in the National Fastpitch Coaches Association poll for the second straight week. The Aggies went on the road to Columbia, Mo., taking the series 2-1, but on Friday suffered their first run-rule loss, 9-1, since Florida beat them handily on March 8.

ESPN/USA Softball polls listed the Aggies at No. 2 with Tennessee as the No. 1 team

More: Texas A&M softball midseason grades: Aggies' report card full of As and Bs

In both rankings, four of the five teams belong to the SEC and there is no clear candidate for who will win the regular season conference title. Tennessee won last year and could do it again with junior pitcher Karlyn Pickens (0.96 ERA over 138 innings) in the circle.

Texas A&M softball is also No. 1 in the NCAA's RPI ranking, a primary tool used by the selection committee when determining the 16-seeded teams in the NCAA Tournament.

Texas softball, previously ranked No. 3 in both polls, lost "gritted" its way to a 2-1 series victory last weekend against LSU after losing a series to the Lady Vols earlier this month. Ranked No. 8 in the RPI, the Longhorns have a slog of a week going to Oklahoma to play not only the No. 23 Oklahoma State Cowgirls, but the No. 3 Oklahoma Sooners, the four-time reigning champions.

The Aggies can make a statement when Arkansas comes to town this week, then travel to Knoxville to finish the season against Tennessee.

More: Texas A&M softball: KK Dement home run key in Aggies' historic sweep of LSU

Before Arkansas comes to town, the Aggies take a break from SEC play Tuesday evening against Louisiana at 5 p.m.

Here are the latest poll updates:

National Fastpitch Coaches Association poll​

1. Texas A&M
2. Texas
3. Oklahoma
4. Tennessee
5. Oregon
6. Florida State
7. UCLA
8. Florida
9. Arkansas
10. LSU
11. Texas Tech
12. Arizona
13. South Carolina
14. Virginia Tech
15. Stanford
16. Ole Miss
17. Mississippi State
18. Nebraska
19. Clemson
20. Alabama
21. Duke
22. Ohio State
23. Oklahoma State
24. Georgia
25. Virginia

ESPN/USA Softball poll​

1. Tennessee
2. Texas A&M
3. Texas
4. Oklahoma
5. Oregon
6. Florida
7. Florida State
8. UCLA
9. Arkansas
10. LSU
11. South Carolina
12. Texas Tech
13. Arizona
14. Virginia Tech
15. Alabama
16. Stanford
17. Mississippi State
18. Duke
19. Clemson
20. Ole Miss
21. Nebraska
22. Ohio State
23. Oklahoma State
24. Georgia
25. Grand Canyon

Follow the American-Statesman on Facebook and X for more. Your subscription makes work like this possible. Access all of our best content with this tremendous offer.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: NCAA softball polls: Texas A&M falls slightly in ESPN poll

Continue reading...