Oklahoma leads SEC softball tournament predictions
Oklahoma’s offense is heating up, making them the top pick for the SEC softball title.
The college softball postseason is here, with conference tournaments set to get underway in the next few days.
The SEC was utterly dominant in 2025, with seven teams ranked in the top 10 of the latest USA Softball/ESPN rankings. The SEC tournament is set to have big seeding implications with so many top-tier teams competing for the conference title.
Oklahoma, who won the regular season title in its first season in the SEC, isn’t quite the power it has been in recent seasons but nonetheless has a squad capable of winning its unprecedented fifth consecutive national championship. Texas A&M is also poised to be one of the top seeds, as it ranks No. 1 in RPI (Ratings Power Index).
The national championship race feels wide open in 2025, in what’s setting up to be quite the postseason.
Here are national seed predictions for college softball ahead of conference tournaments across the country:
College softball seed predictions1. Texas A&M (43-9, 16-7 SEC)
Texas A&M ended its regular season with a huge 13-2 run-rule win in five innings over Tennessee, jumping the Vols and Texas to finish second in the regular season SEC standings. The Aggies are amid one of their best seasons ever and have a real case for No. 1 overall seed in 2025, although there’s plenty left to figure out in the SEC tournament.
2. Oklahoma (43-7, 17-7 SEC)
The Sooners claimed the outright SEC regular season championship in their first season in college softball’s toughest conference from top to bottom. They finished the regular season with a 1-2 showing in a road series against Florida yet will be the No. 1 seed in the SEC tournament as they look for its record-breaking fifth consecutive national championship under legendary coach Patty Gasso.
The Sooners dropped series against Florida, Tennessee and Alabama, but swept Arkansas, Texas, Mississippi State and South Carolina in conference play.
3. Texas (45-9, 16-8 SEC)
Texas is one of many SEC teams on this list, grouped together with a number of teams that are seemingly in a hodgepodge together after playing in the best conference in the sport in 2025. The Longhorns finished No. 3 in the SEC standings behind Oklahoma and Texas A&M, and their conference showing should put them near the top of the seedings.
4. Florida (43-13, 13-10 SEC)
Despite finishing sixth in the SEC this season, the metrics love Florida and its body of work against one of the toughest schedules in college softball this season. The Gators ended the season with a series win at home over Oklahoma, and are positioned to earn a high seed, especially if they perform in the conference tournament.
5. Arkansas (38-11, 14-10 SEC)
Arkansas is red hot, as it has ended the season with six straight series wins in SEC play. Among those wins are series against LSU, Texas A&M, Tennessee and Florida, who are all among the top national championship contenders this season.
Led by player of the year candidate Bri Ellis, who’s batting .487 with 25 home runs and 68 RBIs this season, don’t be surprised if Arkansas makes a run in the SEC tournament and jumps even higher in the seedings list.
6. Florida State (44-8, 18-3 ACC)
Florida State and coach Lonni Alameda have a balanced pitching staff with four pitchers that have thrown over 60 innings and none over 90. The Seminoles are the first non-SEC team to appear on the list and boast a strong resume that has them at No. 3 in RPI.
7. LSU (40-13, 12-12 SEC)
LSU won its series against Florida before ending the season with a 1-2 showing against Arkansas in the final set of the regular season. Beth Torina’s squad is among a number of SEC teams with very similar resumes, but the Tigers’ No. 4 rating in RPI puts them in Super Regional host territory in 2025.
8. Tennessee (40-13, 15-9 SEC)
The Lady Vols dropped two of three against Texas A&M in the final series of the regular season, falling from second to fourth in the final SEC standings. Still, Tennessee has one of the best pitchers in the country in Karlyn Pickens, who might just be able to carry the Lady Vols through the postseason. Tennessee is a strong showing at the SEC tournament away from jumping into the very top tier of teams in the NCAA tournament.
9. Oregon (47-6, 19-3 Big Ten)
While Oregon is No. 17 in RPI, the Ducks were dominant in Big Ten play, with a 19-3 conference record. The Ducks also won their series against UCLA earlier in the season and have two nonconference wins against Florida State and another against Tennessee.
Oregon and coach Melissa Lombardi are in contention for a top-eight seed in 2025.
10. UCLA (47-9, 17-5 Big Ten)
UCLA didn’t face a ton of top-tier competition in the Big Ten, although it dropped from No. 4 to No. 6 in RPI after dropping its final regular season series against Northwestern. The Bruins, though, are among the top teams in college softball, per usual, and have the pieces to contend for a national title.
UCLA’s middle-of-the-order hitters have some serious thump, too, as Jordan Woolery and Megan Grant have combined for 42 home runs this season.
11. Arizona (43-10, 17-7 Big 12)
Arizona finished second in the Big 12 behind Texas Tech in 2025 but played a nonconference schedule that includes wins over Alabama, Stanford and UCLA. The Wildcats went 1-2 against the Red Raiders and 2-1 against Oklahoma State in conference play.
12. South Carolina (38-14, 12-11 SEC)
Another SEC team graces the list, as the Gamecocks rank No. 9 in RPI despite nearly going .500 in a loaded conference play slate. South Carolina has a sweep against Duke and two wins against Texas Tech, along with SEC series wins against LSU, Georgia, Ole Miss, Kentucky and Alabama.
The Gamecocks are another that could see their stock rise at the SEC tournament.
13. Clemson (41-12, 19-5 ACC)
Clemson shouldn’t have any issues with claiming a national seed in 2025, but the question is where. The Tigers finished just behind Florida State in the ACC standings and have one of the weaker strength of schedules among national seed contenders.
The Tigers played one ranked team in ACC play in Duke, but lost the series 2-1 and didn’t play Florida State.
14. Alabama (36-20, 13-13 SEC)
Alabama finished 10th in the SEC standings, going 13-13 in conference play. The Crimson Tide’s tough conference schedule should put them in a decent spot for a national seed, especially with a series win over Oklahoma.
15. Texas Tech
The Red Raiders are vying for their first-ever regional hosting spot, as they’ve been led by reigning national player of the year NiJaree Canady, who has a ridiculous .89 ERA this season with 229 strikeouts in 157.1 innings. Canady is among the frontrunners to win the award again, looking to be the first to win back-to-back honors since UCLA’s Rachel Garcia in 2018-19.
Texas Tech will, at least, get back to the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2019.
16. Duke (37-15, 16-8 ACC)
A 10-seed last season, Duke reached the Women’s College World Series for the first time last season and is a contender to do the same again in 2025. The Blue Devils have nonconference wins against Mississippi State, Florida, Nebraska and UCLA, along with an ACC series win over Clemson. However, they finished 16-8 in a conference among the weakest power leagues.