The final weekend of February 2026 has delivered exactly what college softball fans live for: historic winning streaks, massive Top-25 upsets, and record-breaking individual performances. As non-conference play begins to wind down and the ACC kicks off its early conference schedule, the landscape of the “Road to Oklahoma City” is shifting rapidly.

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The Unbeatens: GCU’s Historic Rise

The biggest story of the week remains Grand Canyon University (GCU). The Lopes have extended their historic start to a perfect 19-0 after a thrilling Friday doubleheader.

• The Close Call: GCU narrowly escaped an upset bid from Wisconsin, winning 9-8 in a high-intensity nightcap.
• Speed Kills: Senior center fielder Sydney McCray has been a force on the basepaths, tallying 4 stolen bases on Friday alone, bringing her season total to 13 without being caught.
• Top 25 Bound: Following their perfect run, the Lopes officially cracked the Softball America Top 25 rankings at No. 23.

Upsets & Shifting Power

The rankings saw a major “flux” this week as several traditional powerhouses stumbled.

• Clemson Stunned: In a shocking Friday matchup, Georgia Southern rallied for a five-run seventh inning to upset No. 25 Clemson, 8-7. It was the first-ever meeting between the two programs and a signature win for the Eagles.
• SEC/Pac-12 Clash: No. 10 UCLA outlasted No. 6 Florida in a 15-12 slugfest, while No. 1 Tennessee held firm at the top spot with a 4-1 win over No. 24 Penn State.
• The Bluegrass Battle: Louisiana picked up one of its biggest wins of the season by taking down No. 18 Texas A&M, 8-5.

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Current Top 10 Standings (Week 4)

Rank	Team	Record	Trend
1	Tennessee	14-0	—
2	Texas Tech	16-1	—
3	Texas	14-1	—
4	Alabama	13-0	+2
5	Arkansas	13-1	+2
6	Florida	19-1	-2
7	Oklahoma	13-2	-3
8	Nebraska	11-4	+2
9	Florida State	12-4	-4
10	UCLA	13-3	+2

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Star Performers of the Week

• Jordan Woolery (UCLA): Went 3-for-5 with a home run in the massive win over Florida.
• Taylor Shumaker (Florida): Despite the loss to UCLA, she put on a clinic, going 4-for-5 with 2 home runs and 4 RBIs.
• Aly VanBrandt (Indiana): Had a career day against Elon, hitting for 7 RBIs including two home runs and a bases-clearing double.
• Sage Mardjetko (Tennessee): Tossed a complete game with 10 strikeouts to keep the Lady Vols undefeated.

What’s Next?

Keep an eye on the LSU Invitational and the continued rise of mid-majors like North Carolina (15-0) and Virginia (16-1), both of whom are quietly putting together some of the best starts in the country.

Would you like me to look up the full schedule for tomorrow’s Top-25 matchups or give you a deeper dive into a specific team’s stats?

GCU Softball vs Wisconsin Highlights

This video provides a look at some of the high-stakes action from the past week, highlighting the intensity of non-conference battles.