The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Softball ranked No. 2 in the final USA TODAY/NFCA poll
06.14.2022 | Softball
This marks Texas’ highest finish in any full-season Top 25 final ranking in program history.
AUSTIN, Texas – The Texas softball team (47-22-1) was rewarded for its magical postseason run to the WCWS Championship Series by finishing a program-best No. 2 overall in the final release of the USA Today/National Fastpitch Coaches Association poll released on Tuesday morning.
Prior to the 2022 campaign, the highest that the Longhorns had ever finished in the final NFCA Top 25 was No. 3 after both the COVID-19 shortened 2020 season and in 2013 following a run to the WCWS semifinals. Texas did complete the abbreviated 2020 campaign at No. 1 in the final release of the Softball America poll.
National champion Oklahoma went wire-to-wire at No. 1 this season followed by Texas, UCLA, Oklahoma State and Florida. Northwestern, Arizona, Oregon State, Arkansas and Virginia Tech rounded out the final top 10. During the 2022 season, UT registered wins over five of the final top 10 teams, including No. 1 Oklahoma, No. 3 UCLA, No. 4 Oklahoma State, No. 7 Arizona and No. 9 Arkansas.
It was an historic run for the 2022 Longhorns as the Burnt Orange & White posted a 47-22-1 overall record while becoming the first unseeded team to ever reach the WCWS Championship Series. Along the way, Texas' offense again proved prolific, leading the nation in doubles (116) while setting school single-season records for doubles, runs scored (397), hits (560), total bases (906), RBIs (355), walks (224) and games played (70). UT rallied for an impressive 18 come-from-behind victories, posted 14 total wins over ranked teams and won its first six elimination games during its postseason run through the NCAA Seattle Regional, the NCAA Fayetteville Super Regional and the Women's College World Series.
Individually, Texas boasted two NFCA All-Americans in senior second baseman Janae Jefferson (became just the second four-time All-American in Texas program history) and senior pitcher Hailey Dolcini. UT also had four NFCA All-Central Region selections (Jefferson, Dolcini, senior catcher/first baseman Mary Iakopo, freshman third baseman Mia Scott) and put a program-record-tying seven players on the various All-Big 12 Conference teams (Jefferson, Dolcini, Iakopo, Scott, sophomore shortstop Alyssa Washington, catcher/first baseman Katie Cimusz, freshman pitcher Sophia Simpson).
2022 USA Today / NFCA Division I
Top 25 Coaches Poll – June 14 (Final)
|
Rank |
School (First Place Votes) |
Points |
2022 Record |
Prev. Ranking |
|
1 |
Oklahoma (31) |
800 |
59-3 |
1 |
|
2 |
Texas |
766 |
47-22-1 |
16 |
|
3 |
UCLA |
725 |
51-10 |
5 |
|
4 |
Oklahoma State |
716 |
48-14 |
6 |
|
5 |
Florida |
657 |
49-19 |
12 |
|
6 |
Northwestern |
625 |
45-13 |
10 |
|
7 |
Arizona |
591 |
39-22 |
|
|
8 |
Oregon State |
552 |
39-22 |
|
|
9 |
Arkansas |
535 |
48-11 |
4 |
|
10 |
Virginia Tech |
517 |
46-10 |
3 |
|
11 |
Arizona State |
482 |
43-11 |
8 |
|
12 |
Duke |
424 |
44-11 |
9 |
|
13 |
Florida State |
390 |
54-7 |
2 |
|
14 |
UCF |
362 |
46-12 |
18 |
|
15 |
Washington |
314 |
38-17 |
11 |
|
16 |
Clemson |
306 |
42-17 |
14 |
|
17 |
Alabama |
275 |
44-13 |
7 |
|
18 |
Stanford |
264 |
39-22 |
RV |
|
19 |
Mississippi State |
250 |
37-27 |
|
|
20 |
Tennessee |
215 |
41-18 |
13 |
|
21 |
Kentucky |
200 |
37-19 |
15 |
|
22 |
Georgia |
130 |
40-16 |
19 |
|
23 |
Missouri |
104 |
35-20 |
20 |
|
24 |
Auburn |
67 |
40-17 |
17 |
|
25 |
Oregon |
52 |
33-19 |
23 |
New to Poll: No. 7 Arizona, No. 8 Oregon State, No. 18 Stanford, No. 19 Mississippi State
Dropped Out: No. 21 Notre Dame, No. 22 LSU, No. 24 Michigan, No. 25 Nebraska
Receiving Votes: Michigan (24), Notre Dame (14), Nebraska (12), LSU (11), Louisiana (9), San Diego State (7), Ole Miss (4).
