Around NCAA softball: SEC

The SEC is one of the top softball conferences in the country. Just in the past week, the SEC had 10 teams featured in the NCAA’s Top 25 softball rankings. Here are some of the top-performing SEC teams within this week’s Top 25 rankings.

No. 3: Tennessee Lady Volunteers

The Lady Volunteers have moved up to the No. 3 spot in the rankings, previously they were ranked No. 4. Overall, Tennessee is at a 34-8 record on the season and are 14-4 in conference play.

Tennessee’s past three series have all been against ranked SEC opponents: Georgia, Mississippi State and LSU, respectively. The Lady Vols won all three series, most recently winning against No. 7 LSU.

In terms of stats, Tennessee ranks first within the SEC in team ERA (1.36) and opponent batting average (.176) with pitchers Payton Gottshall and Karlyn Pickens leading the SEC in ERA and opponent batting average.

No. 9: Georgia Bulldogs

Georgia remains at the No. 9 spot in this week’s rankings. The Bulldogs stand at 10-8 in the SEC and 36-11 overall.

At the beginning of April, Georgia saw a fall in the rankings when they lost a series to the Lady Vols. They’ve been hovering around the No. 8 - No. 9 ranking since then, having lost a series to Kentucky, but most recently winning their series against the No. 13 Missouri.

As a team, Georgia ranks fifth in batting average (.301) in the SEC, they have a collective .540 slugging, which ranks second and leads the SEC in home runs (69). Senior Jayda Kearney is tied for the most home runs in the SEC with 15.

No. 11: Texas A&M Aggies

Texas moved from No. 12 to No. 11 in this week’s rankings. The Aggies overall are 38-9 and 15-6 in conference, not to mention they also have won their last seven games.

Within that seven-game win streak, the Aggies have gone on to win the series against the current No. 17 Alabama, swept Ole Miss and won their two mid-week matchups.

The Aggies have a collective .308 average, third in the SEC, and their .524 slugging is fourth in the SEC. As for pitching, Texas ranks fifth in ERA (2.22) and has an outstanding pitcher, junior Emiley Kennedy, who ranks third in ERA (1.51) in 157.2 innings.

No. 12: Florida Gators

In the previous week’s rankings, Florida was in the No. 10 spot, but dropped to No. 12. The Gators are 37-10 overall and 12-6 in the conference.

They won their most recent series against an unranked SEC opponent, South Carolina. But the week prior, they were upset by No. 15 Missouri, losing the series. A big series is coming up for both the Gators and the Bulldogs, as they go head-to-head this weekend.

While the Gators aren’t ranked as highly for their pitching, they have an explosive offense. The Gators rank first in the SEC in average (.347), OBP (.456), slugging (.604), RBI (353), hits (421) and doubles (86). Florida’s .347 average also ranks seventh in D1.

Florida also owns the top four leaders in average in the SEC, Korbe Otis (.451), Kendra Falby (.401), Jocelyn Erickson (.396) and Reagan Walsh (.395). Otis’ .451 average ranks 10th in D1, while Walsh’s 14 home runs lead the Gators.

Caitlyn Brooks is a first-year majoring in digital and print journalism. To contact her, email crb6283@psu.edu.