Kentucky softball falls to No. 20 in week 10 of USA Softball Top 25

Travis Fannon

Kentucky Wildcats utility player Karissa Hamilton (2) rounds second base heading for third during the No. 16 Kentucky vs. No. 6 Tennessee softball game on Saturday, April 15, 2023, at John Cropp Stadium in Lexington, Kentucky. Kentucky lost 10-2. Photo by Travis Fannon | Staff

Colton Johnson, Reporter
April 28, 2023

Kentucky softball (25-13-1) earned its lowest ranking of the season in week 10 of the USA Softball Top 25, dropping four spots to No. 20.

The drop in ranking comes after the Wildcats were swept by then No. 6 Tennessee (35-4), with the Lady Volunteers climbing to the No. 4 spot in week 10.

Oklahoma (39-1) maintained its position at the top of the poll, with Tennessee being the only new team in the top five after Stanford (31-9) dropped three spots to No. 8.

Nine SEC teams earned top 25 rankings in week 10, with Tennessee remaining as the highest ranked team from the conference. 

A 2-1 series loss to Florida (33-11) set Georgia (33-10) back two spots to No. 11, with the Gators moving up one spot to No. 14 after the win. 

After sweeping UAB in a weekend series, Arkansas (31-12) moved up one spot to No. 11, with Alabama (32-12) falling one spot despite sweeping Mississippi State (37-27).

LSU (34-10) fell three spots to No. 15 after a 2-1 series loss to Auburn (32-13), while Auburn moved up three spots to No. 21 after the battle of the Tigers. 

Trouble on the road would move Texas A&M (26-16) back three spots to No. 24 after being swept by the Gamecocks of South Carolina (30-12) in a weekend series.

The Wildcats will look to return to form with a midweek matchup with Northern Kentucky being followed by a weekend series against No. 12 Arkansas with the first pitch scheduled for Friday, April 21, at 6:30 p.m. EST at John Cropp Stadium.

A full list of rankings can be found below:

  1. Oklahoma, 39-1
  2. UCLA, 39-4
  3. Oklahoma State, 39-4
  4. Tennessee, 34-5
  5. Florida State, 35-8
  6. Clemson, 40-5
  7. Texas, 36-9-1
  8. Stanford, 31-9
  9. Washington, 31-9
  10. Duke, 36-8
  11. Georgia, 33-10
  12. Arkansas, 31-12
  13. Alabama, 32-12
  14. Florida, 31-11
  15. LSU, 34-10
  16. Oregon, 28-11
  17. Northwestern, 28-9
  18. Utah, 29-8
  19. Baylor, 34-10
  20. Kentucky, 25-13-1
  21. Auburn, 32-13
  22. Virginia Tech, 32-12
  23. Wichita State, 36-8
  24. Texas A&M, 26-16
  25. Louisiana, 33-12

Other teams receiving votes: Central Arkansas (28), South Carolina (22), Arizona (10), California (2), Missouri (2), Arizona State (1)