Defending champ Texas, Texas Tech and Oklahoma among favorites for softball national title

By Canadian Press on February 10, 2026.

Defending national champion Texas, perennial power Oklahoma and rising Texas Tech have developed their teams in very different ways yet have similar expectations of competing for a national championship this season.

Texas is a veteran squad filled with players who largely have come up through the program. Oklahoma’s nucleus is young but experienced. More than half of Tech’s players have entered the program via the transfer portal. All three programs reached the Women’s College World Series semifinals last season and have the tools to return.

Texas’ top players are junior pitcher Teagan Kavan — the Most Outstanding Player of last year’s Women’s College World Series — and senior slugger Reese Atwood. Junior outfielder Kayden Henry, senior outfielder Ashton Maloney and junior infielder Katie Stewart are highly decorated holdovers from the championship squad.

Even with that much experienced star power, Texas coach Mike White said last year’s success has to be kept in the proper perspective.

“The game doesn’t know we’re national champions,” he said. “The game’s going to reward the team that’s the best. It’s a cliche-type thing, but it’s true. And so we’re working on just focusing on what we can control.”

Steady Sooners

Oklahoma is still a relatively young team, but the Sooners reached the national semifinals last year after winning the previous four national titles. Their returning stars are juniors Ella Parker and Kasidi Pickering and sophomores Nelly McEnroe-Marinas and Gabbie Garcia.

Still, the Sooners know what is coming at them. Oklahoma coach Patty Gasso said this is the most prepared team she’s had “for a while.”

“They know the drill, they know how, they’ve been sharing,” Gasso said. “There’s a lot of meeting and talking, and they’re kind of in that professional space where somebody will have an at-bat and then she’ll come out and talk with the next hitter about what’s going on and what she saw and things like that.”

The Sooners lost pitcher Sam Landry to pro softball, but they have LSU transfer Sydney Berzon as part of a deep pitching staff. In three seasons at LSU, Berzon went 52-25 with a 2.02 ERA.

“She’s a senior, she knows the game,” Gasso said. “She’s had really great seasons at LSU. There have been some injury problems, and we have really worked hard with her in the fall to try to minimize that, and we have. So she’s given us the thumbs-up every day.”

Tech transfers

Texas Tech worked its way into the mix through the transfer portal last season, then doubled down on that approach in the offseason.

Texas Tech reached the championship series last season behind star pitcher NiJaree Canady, but the workload caught up with her in the decisive game, and Texas won. Tech added reinforcements such as utility player Kaitlyn Terry from UCLA, a strong pitcher who will provide relief.

The Red Raiders also picked up infielder Taylor Pannell from Tennessee and catcher Jasmyn Burns from Ohio State, among other transfers. Mihyia Davis is a holdover from last year’s Tech team and is among the nation’s best outfielders.

The collection of talent has the Red Raiders talking national title, but coach Gerry Glasco knows that chemistry will be key with so many newcomers. In all, 15 of Tech’s 25 players spent time at a different college program before transferring to Tech.

“When you get down to the end of the day, talent’s really important,” he said. “It’s critical. But being a great teammate, being a family unit and playing with — playing for each other more than you’re playing for yourself — we can get better and better at that, and we have to.”

Go Big Red?

Nebraska could be a spoiler. The Cornhuskers have dynamic pitcher and hitter Jordy Frahm, the former Jordy Bahl who got married in the offseason. She was the Most Outstanding Player of the World Series for Oklahoma in 2023 and was the National Fastpitch Coaches Association’s Division I Player of the Year in 2025 for Nebraska. She already has a win over Texas this season.

The Cornhuskers also have a freshman left-hander to watch in Alexis Jensen, and Ava Kuszak is one of the nation’s top infielders.

On the radar

UCLA likely will be a threat, with pitcher Taylor Tinsley, infielder Jordan Woolery and utility player Megan Grant on USA Softball’s Top 50 Players to Watch list. Tennessee’s Karlyn Pickens, Oregon’s Lyndsey Grein, Florida’s Keagan Rothrock and Arizona State’s Kenzie Brown can beat any team on a given day.

ACC power

Florida State has missed the World Series the past two years, but the Seminoles are poised to return.

Lonni Alameda has led one of the nation’s most successful programs for nearly two decades, and her Seminoles are the overwhelming favorites to win the Atlantic Coast Conference. Her squad features infielder Isa Torrez, infielder Jaysoni Beachum, pitcher Jazzy Francik and outfielder Kennedy Harp.

History is on Florida State’s side. The Seminoles won the national title in 2018 and played in the championship series in 2021 and ’23.

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AP college sports: https://apnews.com/hub/college-sports

Cliff Brunt, The Associated Press