There’s a new No. 1 in our Big 12 softball power rankings this week, but there’s also a much smaller gap between the top spot and the third-best team in the league than we thought.
Right now, the Big 12 appears to have a few teams capable of making some noise this season, a group of teams that could go either direction, and a group of teams that are clearly going to struggle when conference play arrives.
For the first time this season, we have enough data to start putting these teams into tiers, and here’s what it looks like after Week 3.
Tier 1: The Contenders
1. Texas Tech Red Raiders (Last Week: 2)
Record: (15-3)
If Lauren Allred and Alana Johnson can swing the bat consistently like they did this past weekend, and NiJaree Canady stays healthy, the Red Raiders will be a tough out in the Big 12. TTU outscored opponents 69-9 over the weekend, with two lopsided wins coming against an Indiana team that was receiving votes in the latest poll.
2. Arizona Wildcats (Last Week: 1)
Record: (15-2)
Still plenty deserving of the No. 1 spot, Arizona has shown that it has the firepower to keep pace with some of the best teams in the country. A pair of wins over Stanford were huge building blocks for this team, and the loss to Texas came in extras. The Wildcats are a dangerous team in 2025.
3. Oklahoma State Cowgirls (Last Week: 3)
Record: (8-4)
The record is still a bit deceiving, but this Oklahoma State team is going to be an absolute problem when they hit their stride. Already battle-tested, the Cowgirls will head to Wichita this weekend and face a couple ranked teams in Nebraska and Missouri, How they perform in those games will tell us a bunch.
Tier 2: High Ceiling, High Volatility
4. Arizona State Sun Devils (Last Week: 5)
Record: (10-5)
I would not pick Arizona State to make the NCAA Tournament after what I’ve seen through three weekends, but it would not surprise at all to see them get there as the season progresses. The 9-1 loss to Florida showed some of the weaknesses in this lineup, but there aren’t many teams built like the Gators this season. ASU will play a factor in the Big 12 race; how significant a factor is has yet to be determined.
5. BYU Cougars (Last Week: 8)
Record: (9-4)
BYU had a decent showing in Cathedral City this weekend, going 3-2 overall with a win over Washington and a 1-0 loss to Duke on Saturday. The Blue Devils look like a contender in the ACC, so hanging tough with them is a great sign for a team with a couple of headscratchers earlier in the season.
6. UCF Knights (Last Week: 6)
Record: (12-6-1)
UCF has had a few tough showings, most notably against Texas A&M and Florida State, but looks like a team that could surprise some folks in 2025. The offense needs to find more production through the middle of the lineup, but Kaitlyn Felton (0.79 ERA) is good enough to keep them in big games.
7. Baylor Bears (Last Week: 4)
Record: (7-8)
Without a doubt, Baylor is the most disappointing team in the Big 12 through the first few weeks of the season. The Bears have the talent and experience to be one of the top teams in the league, but they’ve gone 0-7 against ranked opponents and have been outscored 53-14 in those games.
Tier 3: Could Steal a Series or Two
8. Kansas Jayhawks (Last Week: 9)
Record: (7-5)
Kansas went 3-0 against Southern Illinois and Texas State this weekend, which is notable because both teams made the NCAA Tournament last season and are expected to be among the teams competing for bids again in 2025. They don’t have the roster depth of some of the teams ahead of them, but this Jayhawks’ bunch is scrappy.
9. Houston Cougars (Last Week: 7)
Record: (9-4)
Look, I know that Houston has a winning record. But I can’t help but see the trouble this team is going to have in Big 12 play with a 5.13 team ERA (201st nationally, last in Big 12).
Tier 4: It Just Isn’t Their Year
10. Iowa State Cyclones (Last Week: 10)
Record: (6-7)
Iowa State was just part of a record-setting game against Florida; unfortunately the records broken were the most runs scored (24), hits (22) and RBI (23) in Gators’ program history, as UF took care of Iowa State 24-3 in five innings.
11. Utah Utes (Last Week: 11)
Record (4-12)
Utah hasn’t won a game in 10 days and with their next three contests coming against LSU, UCLA, and San Deigo State, they probably are getting back in the win column until March.
