It’s a tough world out there. Even winning two of three games against a top 20 opponent wasn’t enough to keep Arizona softball’s place in the rankings. The Wildcats dropped in three of the four polls this week despite winning the series against Oklahoma State last weekend. The silver lining is that they improved their RPI.
D1 Softball was the only poll that didn’t drop the Wildcats. It’s also their highest ranking this week at No. 11.
Softball America, USA Softball, and the NFCA voters all dropped Arizona one or two spots after their Big 12 series win. SA moved Arizona down from 10 to 12, although the outlet moved Oklahoma State up from 24 to 22 after its 1-2 series loss in Tucson. USA Softball dropped the Wildcats from 12 to 13. The coaches took them from 11 down to 13.
The RPI has a much more positive view of the Wildcats’ series win over the Cowgirls. The formula moved them up two spots from No. 13 before the series to No. 11 after it.
That is the most important thing for UA if it hopes to host. While hosting sites are rarely exactly along the lines of the RPI, being in the top 16 is usually a sign that a program will get to host at least regionals.
D1 Softball thinks Arizona will do more than that. The site’s early bracketology has the Wildcats as the final seed that would host through the super regional round.
Even if the Wildcats ended up outside the top 10 of the RPI, there is precedent for jumping several spots in the national seeding. That precedent has usually involved Alabama or another SEC team, but Arizona does have its own history of getting preferential treatment from the committee.
The Wildcats were firmly on the bubble in Caitlin Lowe’s first year as head coach. They got into the field, although they were in the part of the bracket paired with the No. 2 national seed. They got lucky when the No. 2 seed was knocked out of its home regional. Arizona knocked out the No. 15 seed in its home regional, then won a super regional face-off between two unseeded teams. It was one of two super regionals between unseeded teams that year, both involving Pac-12 teams.
Big 12 rundown
D1 Softball: Arizona (11), Texas Tech (14), Oklahoma State (18)
Softball America: Arizona (12), Texas Tech (14), Oklahoma State (22)
USA Softball: Arizona (13), Texas Tech (14), Oklahoma State (18)
NFCA: Arizona (13), Texas Tech (14), Oklahoma State (18)
RPI: Arizona (11), Oklahoma State (15), Texas Tech (21), Arizona State (30), UCF (37), BYU (45), Baylor (61), Kansas (64), Iowa State (66), Houston (74), Utah (99)
Standings*: Texas Tech (.917), Arizona (.667), BYU (.583), Iowa State (.583), ASU (.583), Oklahoma State (.500), Baylor (.467), UCF (.333), Kansas (.333), Utah (.333), Houston (.231)
*Big 12 standings are based on conference winning percentage. Some teams will play fewer games than others this season because of weather and fire issues that caused cancellations. Winning percentages instead of W/L records are listed for each team.
Recruiting news
Arizona signee Rylie Holder is having a great season in the circle. The righty out of Impact Gold Jackson in Texas has thrown two no-hitters and two perfect games this season. She hit a grand slam in one of those games. She had 16 strikeouts in another.
She has not given up a hit in 14 innings. She has not given up an earned run in her last 56 innings.