SEC Power Rankings: Week 6

It’s been a strange 2026 so far in SEC Softball. While the top of the league has looked very strong, the gap with the middle of the pack and—and certainly the bottom—is perhaps wider than anticipated. That’s why sweeps may come in bunches, and they also may be necessary for some of the contenders if they want to keep pace in the title race. Before we get to the power rankings, here are a few superlatives from the opening weekend of SEC play.

Game of the Week: Auburn 6, Kentucky 5 (F/13)

The chaotic energy of a game three rubber match was on full display down on the Plains this weekend. Without dipping into Stefon from SNL voice, this game truly had everything—two Herculean relief appearances, an Alexa Riddel outfield assist at the plate that kept the game going, a multi-hour rain delay, an Alyssa Hasting’s walk-off, and plenty more.

The only thing missing was an error, which is insanely impressive across nearly two games packaged into one. Auburn’s victory was important in a series that felt fairly even, although Kentucky certainly had strong moments too. It was a fun late-night finale that capped off a strong week.

Three Red-Hot Hitters: Ella McDowell (Arkansas), Brooke Wells (Alabama), and Gabby Leach (Tennessee)

Ella McDowell’s weekend was massive in a series win for Arkansas over Georgia. The sophomore hit .600 with 7 RBIs and a couple of home runs. Brooke Wells couldn’t be kept off base by Ole Miss. The Houston transfer batted .778 with an incredible .833 OBP for Alabama in the two spot, and one of her two outs in the series was a home run robbery right at the wall. Finally, Gabby Leach laid the boom all weekend for Tennessee, including her walk-off in Game Three against LSU. In the series, Leach hit .600 with six RBIs. Three of her four home runs this season came this past weekend.

The Shove It Award: Olivia Miller (Florida)

Life without Ava Brown was always going to be interesting for Florida, especially in conference play. Who would deliver from the pitching staff besides Keagan Rothrock? Turns out, the answer this weekend was Olivia Miller, who delivered 7.1 innings of scoreless relief work in a Game Two win over Missouri. Miller’s mixing of speeds was outstanding, and her ability to continue working the outer half and keeping the Tigers off-balance gave the Gators’ offense time to cook up a walk-off, setting up the eventual sweep that came on Monday night.

SEC Softball Power Rankings

1. Tennessee (24-0, 3-0 SEC)

No Karlyn Pickens, no problem against LSU. This past weekend showcased the many ways the Lady Vols can win softball games. Sage Mardjetko’s revelatory Friday night shutout was masterful, but the way the offense picked up the two shakiest pitching days of the season so far really stands out. It wasn’t just Gabby Leach, either; Ella Dodge remains the Queen of 1-3 in a game, and you know that one hit will have massive consequences. Sophia Knight’s been excellent, setting the table for the hitters behind her in the lineup, and the ability for anybody to step up at any moment makes this lineup dangerous.

Crucially, too, this weekend showed just how good Tennessee is without the All-American in the circle. There’s no need to rush things injury-wise for Pickens…the Lady Vols can handle things if they must.

2. Texas (22-1, 3-0)

Road sweeps in the SEC are never easy, and yet it felt pretty elementary for the Longhorns in Columbia. The scores don’t showcase dominance, but it never really felt like Texas was in danger at any point. Citlaly Gutierrez’s Game Two shutout after a semi-quiet start to the year showcased plenty, and freshman Hannah Wells delivered the goods to wrap the weekend (and we already know Teagan Kavan can hold it down).

Offensively, Katie Stewart’s season has been remarkable so far with a .492 batting average and 31 RBIs to go with 12 home runs, and Reese Atwood has kept pace in the box as well (.426, 35 RBI, 9 HR). Don’t discount how good (sorry) Leighann Goode has been, too (.471, 14 RBI). The defending champs continue to plug right along comfortably.

3. Alabama (24-0, 3-0)

The Tide’s undefeated season continued with a sweep in Oxford of Ole Miss, led by the aforementioned Brooke Wells and a pitching staff that continues to deliver. Beyond Wells, freshman Ana Roman keeps swinging a hot bat (.396 on the year with 27 RBI and 8 HR) and Alexis Pupillo remains impressive protection for Wells in the lineup (.438, 27 RBI, 8 HR). Even more striking is the fact that the Alabama offense has been so consistent without All-American Audrey Vandagriff really truly reaching her full ceiling so far.

In the circle, Jocelyn Briski, Vic Moten, and Kaitlyn Pallozzi combined for the nation’s top ERA of 0.88. The freshman Moten had a few bumps in Game Two, but her strikeout to end Game Three was as electric a moment as you’ll find from the weekend. Also, don’t forget the Tide’s defense—zero errors on the road in the SEC was striking, and the infield continues to make big plays. 

4. Oklahoma (24-2)

The Sooners hosted a tournament during their conference bye week and did the thing again. The offense remains potent, to say the least, and the Race to 161 single-season home runs – set by the Sooners in 2021 – is very much on. The 103 bombs through 26 games is striking, and the way Kendall Wells has set the pace has surely put her out in front for National Freshman of the Year (.392, 37 RBI, 19 HR). The versatility of Kai Minor (.522), the potency of Abby Dayton (.500), and the experience from Kasidi Pickering (.493, 10 HR) lead a balanced lineup that feels almost impossible the attack from the circle.

Audrey Lowry remains the ace, as we know, but crucially, it looks like Miali Guachino is starting to grow more and more confident and comfortable. It’ll be fascinating to see how the Sooners attack game twos in a series, but they’ve shown they can win a shootout if necessary. 

5. Arkansas (22-2, 2-1)

This weekend showcased Arkansas’s impressive resilience. After dropping Game One to Georgia, the Razorbacks clawed out a 7-6 win on Saturday before Robyn Herron did her thing in Game Three to clinch the series. Herron remains the staff leader (1.79 ERA, 9-1), and all the other arms certainly have the capability of clamping down in game two scenarios.

Offensively, Ella McDowell keeps on trucking, but don’t sleep on how important Tianna Bell’s addition has been for this team. Her power (9 HR, 29 RBI), consistency (.465), and plate discipline make her one of the most important portal additions from this past offseason. A massive chance at Alabama this weekend looms.

6. Florida (26-1, 3-0)

Even without Ava Brown, the Gators found a way to sweep this weekend and keep pace with all the other contenders in the SEC. Interestingly, you could argue more of the bumps and bruises without the junior two-way came on the offensive side.

Still, Tim Walton’s squad is swinging it well, especially Taylor Shumaker (.500, 40 RBI, 11 HR). No signs of a sophomore slump here. Jocelyn Erickson is back doing her thing (.488, 42 RBI, 13 HR), and Kenleigh Cahalan’s senior season has helped craft an extremely dangerous top of the order. In the circle, Keagan Rothrock is leading the way. She hasn’t necessarily been shut down, but she’s mostly limiting teams enough to allow for the offense to outscore the other side. The absence of Brown will remain a lingering headline until her return, but perhaps the emergence of Olivia Miller in the circle will help keep things in check.

7. Mississippi State (26-2)

The Bulldogs spent the weekend outside of conference play in Mobile, and things went pretty much according to plan. The pitching staff remains remarkably sound, with a 1.30 team ERA, led by the transfer trio of Leila Ammon (0.69 ERA), Peja Goold (0.80 ERA), and Alyssa Faircloth (1.90). Faircloth and Goold are both inside the top four in the SEC in strikeouts, with Faircloth pacing the conference with 107.

At the plate, Kiarra Sells seems to be the 2026 pick for “Mississippi State Batter That Breaks Out And Becomes A Stud.” Her .467 batting average is well over one hundred points higher than last season, and her ten home runs lead the way. Morgan Stiles has been strong in her sophomore campaign (.375, 10 RBI), and the defense has been impressive too (.989 fielding percentage, second in the conference). Mississippi State has a chance to bust into the top portion of the conference discussion Kool-Aid Man-style this weekend when it hosts Tennessee.

8. Georgia (20-7, 1-2)

It’s been very hard to evaluate Georgia so far this season, thanks to some pitching injuries. Addisen Fisher did return this past weekend, but she didn’t look particularly sharp. She needs to get back to her A-game for the Bulldogs to truly reach their ceiling. Randi Roelling is always a threat to shove, as showcased in her Game One performance at Arkansas, but she can’t do it all by herself.

Sarah Gordon keeps leading the pack offensively (.507, 24 RBI, 7 HR), and Tyler Ellison has been impressive the last two seasons. Time will tell if Georgia can push their way from the middle of the pack of the conference, but the offensive explosiveness is certainly there. The Dawgs just need to get healthy in the circle. 

9. Texas A&M (17-8)

Texas A&M is the SEC’s top enigma. This past weekend, the Aggies dropped a surprising 3-1 game at Texas State, and while there’s no shame in losing to the Bobcats, who are solid, it continues a trend of Texas A&M of just not taking care of business consistently against teams in the Top 100 of the RPI. The Aggies are 8-8 against that metric, with just one win against Top 50 teams (over Houston, who’s at 45).

The bigger question is why the struggles against solid teams have persisted. The offense remains solid, and Mya Perez has been delivering All-American type numbers, but the bats have gone quiet in the games where a somewhat shaky pitching staff has been on point.

Both Sydney Lessentine and Sidne Peters have ERAs over 2.40, and nobody else on staff has 20 IP this year. Simply put, Texas A&M needs to play more complementary softball to reach the ceiling. It just hasn’t happened thus far.

10. LSU (18-7, 0-3)

The Tigers missed an outstanding opportunity to shift the narrative this past weekend in Knoxville. Isolated, there’s no shame in getting swept on the road against the number one team in the country.

However, the how is of major concern, especially since Karlyn Pickens didn’t throw a pitch and the Tigers had a 4-0 lead in two separate games. The pitching staff has been solid, but not nearly as shutdown as needed with an offense that isn’t getting production from its stars.

We’re in a month in, and Tori Edwards is hitting .242 with 18 RBIs and four home runs, while Maci Bergeron is batting .219 with 14 RBIs and only two dingers. That’s just not going to get it done. Jalia Lassiter (.371, 17 RBI) and Sierra Daniel (.369, 12 RBI) are pacing the offense, but the help hasn’t been there consistently this far.

More from Jayden Heavener (3.07 ERA) would be good, but the other arms need to have her back too. It felt telling that LSU kept Heavener in for all of Game Three against Tennessee, even though signs pointed to the Lady Vols figuring her out. The roster talent is still there, but the results haven’t been so far. The time to turn things around is now.

11. Auburn (19-7, 2-1)

Auburn had a major opportunity this past weekend, and the Tigers came through. Finding a way to win the series with Kentucky was important, and Alyssa Hastings’ walk-off kept up her torrid start to the season (.476, 12 RBI). FGCL friend and hardcore softball junkie Kylie Shaw remains one of the most effective leadoff hitters in the SEC (.438, 4 RBI, .610 OBP), and McKaela Walker and AnnaLea Adams have been impressive bringing in the runs. Honestly, there aren’t a ton of questions about the Auburn offense. This is a solid group.

The bigger concerns reside in the circle, where Ella Harrison and SJ Geurin are carrying the load. Geurin delivered some of her best work this season against Kentucky, but both pitchers have ERAs north of 3.00. When things turn into a shootout, Auburn can hang, but it’s hard to keep that up in SEC play.

12. South Carolina (15-10, 0-3)

The Gamecocks didn’t play poorly against Texas, but it never felt like they had much of a foothold against the Longhorns. They followed it up with a flat result against Duke in a midweek.

The offense has been solid, with Quincee Lilio leading the way with her superb eye (.441 BA, .560 OBP). Karley Shelton has been solid too with her team-leading 26 RBI, but the Gamecocks need more from Arianna Rodi (.295, 17 RBI, 6 HR) and Lexi Winters (.259, 9 RBI).

The pitching staff has been solid, but Jori Heard can’t do it alone. Heard’s 1.24 ERA is impressive, but Emma Friedel and Nealy Lamb haven’t consistently held up their end of the bargain, which makes life tough for a team that loves to make pitching changes. Time will tell if the bullpen can coalesce as needed to make some noise in SEC play.

13. Kentucky (19-6, 1-2)

Kentucky has been pretty steady, picking up a few good wins here and there, but mostly taking care of business in the games that they should. The offense has four bats that are leading the way in Karissa Hamilton, Carly Sleeman, Allie Blum, and Peyton Plotts, but the rest of the lineup hasn’t necessarily shown the consistency you’re hoping for as SEC play ramps up.

In the circle, Sarah Haendiges showcased an impressive warrior mentality and a sick changeup in Game Three against Auburn, but the offense didn’t have her back. Haendiges, freshman Hailey Nutter, and McKenzie Oslanzi have been solid, too. An opportunity to make a statement at home against Florida this weekend can’t be passed up.

14. Ole Miss (19-8, 0-3)

Ole Miss battled against Alabama, but control issues in the circle came back to bite them way too much. Emilee Boyer threw very well in Game Three, but the offense couldn’t put it together until the seventh inning. The Rebels have to get more out of Kyra Aycock if they want to hang in this version of the SEC.

At the plate, Persy Llamas remains a star, but her weaponry gets supremely limited when Taylor Malvin and Mackenzie Pickens aren’t getting on base. If the Rebels can find a little more consistency in the lineup (and, by extension, how the lineup is formulated…I’m not sure if the revolving door behind the plate helps anyone), then they can pick up some wins. That’s still hard to imagine until we actually see it in some of these games.

15. Missouri (7-16, 0-3)

It’s been a tough year for Missouri again. It’s hard to see the path that leads the Tigers back to the NCAA Tournament. The best news is that Missouri has been really close a lot; they just haven’t been able to finish some of these games.

It’s great to see Abby Hay back on track in 2026 (.357, 17 RBI, 3 HR), and Sidney Forrester has been impressive as a freshman, but the rest of the lineup isn’t able to sustain momentum. A team ERA of 3.93 is also a dilemma, although Abby Carr showcased impressive grit in Game Two against Florida. The Tigers are on their conference off week this weekend, and sweeping the slate is a requirement. 

SEC Softball Series This Week

Florida at Kentucky
Ole Miss at Texas
Auburn at Oklahoma
Tennessee at Mississippi State
Arkansas at Alabama
Texas A&M at LSU (Saturday, Sunday, Monday)

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