2 days Ago By The Oklahoman
The SEC softball picture continues to become clearer as several teams reached the halfway points of their conference slate last weekend.The biggest series of the weekend happened in Norman, Oklahoma, where Tennessee won two of three to take the series over the Sooners.It was just the second conference series the Sooners have lost at home since the start of the 2012 season.
The other came at the end of last season when Oklahoma State won two of three in Norman.Here are this week’s SEC softball power rankings:More: OU softball loses first series of season to Tennessee, Karlyn Pickens in SEC battle1. TexasRecord: 34-3, 7-2 SECLast week: 1After going hitless in the series-opening 4-3 loss to Mississippi State, Kayden Henry and Mia Scott combined to go 7 for 14 with nine RBIs and five runs scored over the last two games of the series — helping lift the Longhorns to a series win.
2. OklahomaRecord: 31-3, 9-3 SECLast week: 2The Sooners dropped their first SEC series to Tennessee, but Kasidi Pickering remains on fire. The sophomore is on a 10-game hitting streak and went a combined 7 for 8 against the Lady Vols, reaching base in 15 consecutive plate appearances before striking out looking in the fifth inning of Sunday’s 5-3 loss.
More: OU softball not where it wants to be. Still, Sooners are among this season's best.3.
LSURecord: 31-4, 6-3 SECLast week: 3After winning the series opener in run-rule fashion, the Tigers were swept by South Carolina in a Sunday doubleheader. Savanna Bedell was 4 for 8 with three runs and two RBIs in the series for the Tigers, hitting her first career homer in Sunday’s first game.4.
FloridaRecord: 33-5, 6-3 SECLast week: 4After falling 4-0 to UCF in a midweek matchup, the Gators rebounded by sweeping Auburn by a combined 25-10 score. The Tigers showed little interest in pitching to Florida slugger Jocelyn Erickson, who walked eight times in the series.5.
Texas A&MRecord: 31-5, 6-3 SECLast week: 5The Aggies swept Loyola Marymount in a non-conference series and have won six consecutive games, the longest current streak in the SEC. Emiley Kennedy struck out 15 batters in a pair of five-inning, complete-game outings, allowing just one run.6.
TennesseeRecord: 29-7. 5-4 SECLast week: 6Former OU catcher Sophia Nugent delivered perhaps the top moment of the weekend in the league when she hit a two-run, go-ahead homer in the eighth inning of Friday’s opener against her old team.More: Inside Sophia Nugent's 'breathtaking' return to Norman to beat OU softball with Tennessee7.
South CarolinaRecord: 27-7, 4-5 SECLast week: 7The Gamecocks won two of three at LSU, earning their first SEC series win over the Tigers since 2017. Arianna Rodi has now reached base in 26 consecutive games. Rodi is now hitting .
388, second on the team to Quincee Lilio (.433).8.
Mississippi StateRecord: 29-8, 6-3 SECLast week: 8After going the distance in the Bulldogs’ series-opening 4-3 win against Texas, Raelin Chaffin was touched up for 12 runs — all earned — in 6 2⁄3 innings in the final two games of the series. Chaffin is still 16-4 with a 2.14 ERA this season.
9. ArkansasRecord: 26-7, 6-6 SECLast week: 14Razorbacks’ leadoff hitter Reagan Johnson was 7 for 11 in Arkansas’ sweep of Kentucky, scoring four runs. Johnson is now hitting .
354 with 31 runs scored this season.10. AlabamaRecord: 25-13, 4-5 SECLast week: 11The Crimson Tide moved up a spot with a series victory against Georgia at home.
Freshman Audrey Vandagriff stole two bases in the series, raising her NCAA-best total to 42 this season. She’s already in the top 10 all-time for single-season stolen bases in program history. Alabama leads the SEC with 87 stolen bases.
10. GeorgiaRecord: 25-10, 4-8 SECLast week: 10The Bulldogs led the series finale at Alabama 4-1 before giving up five in the third in an eventual 8-5 loss. Georgia loaded the bases with no outs in the seventh but could manage only one run.
12. KentuckyRecord: 21-15, 5-7 SECLast week: 12Though the Wildcats were blown out in the middle game of the series, they lost the first and final game at Arkansas by a combined three runs. Eight of Kentucky’s 15 losses have come by three runs or fewer.
13. Ole MissRecord: 28-7, 5-4 SECLast week: 13The Rebels’ 2.30 ERA is fifth-best in the SEC and their 249 strikeouts are third-best in the league.
Miali Guachino leads the conference with 144 strikeouts, one ahead of Tennessee’s Karlyn Pickens.14. MissouriRecord: 19-18, 2-7 SECLast week: 14The Tigers salvaged the series finale at Ole Miss with Monday’s 9-5 win.
After starter Marissa McCann allowed five runs in 1 2⁄3 innings, Cierra Harrison and Nathalie Touchet held the Rebels scoreless for the final 5 1⁄3 innings to allow Missouri to hold on for the win.15. AuburnRecord: 22-14, 0-12 SECLast week: 15If the Tigers are to get an SEC win this season, this weekend’s series at Kentucky might be their best chance.
After that, Auburn faces Georgia, Tennessee and South Carolina in conference series to end the regular season.This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: SEC softball power rankings: Tennessee helps close gap on OU, Texas.
