Gators Help Lead SEC Charge into NCAA Softball Super Regionals
There’s a reason the SEC is called the most dominant conference in college softball.
Of the 12 SEC teams still alive after the 2026 NCAA Regionals concluded Sunday, nine made it to the next round, tying its own all-time record. This time, Alabama, Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Florida, Tennessee, Georgia, LSU and Mississippi State all advanced to the Super Regionals.
No. 2 Florida is set to host one of its toughest tests of the season, No. 3 Texas Tech. The Red Raiders are looking to get back to the WCWS for revenge from last year’s defeat in the final. The last time Florida faced Texas Tech was Feb. 28, 2009.
The Gators cruised through the NCAA Gainesville Regional last weekend, going 3-0 and outscoring opponents 25-2. Florida ace Keagan Rothrock threw 15 innings while allowing two runs, five hits with 13 strikeouts. Taylor Shumaker hit two homers to reach the 40 career homer club, putting her 10th in the UF all-time home run leaders.
For Texas Tech, it was not smooth sailing in the NCAA Lubbock Regional. The Red Raiders trailed 8-0 to Ole Miss in the seventh with only one out left but clawed back to make history. They became the first team this century to come back when trailing by eight or more runs in an NCAA tournament game (previous teams were 0-640).
The SEC has a chance to break the record of five conference teams in the WCWS set by the PAC-10 in 1999. The SEC has been close, matching the record in 2015 and 2025.
Out of the nine teams, six will match up against each other, guaranteeing three SEC teams in the Women’s College World Series.
Alabama, the overall No. 1 seed, cruised through a tough Tuscaloosa Regional to set up a rivalry matchup with No. 4 LSU in the Super Regional. The Tigers faced a tough Virginia Tech team twice but prevailed both times.
Softball powerhouse No. 1 Oklahoma run-ruled opponents in two of their three games to set a date with No. 5 Mississippi State.
Mississippi State dominated the Eugene Regional, where hosts Oregon saw itself ousted before championship Sunday. The Ducks were shut out, 4-0, by the Bulldogs behind Alyssa Faircloth’s first career no-hitter and the first NCAA tournament no-hitter in program history.
No. 2 Tennessee will face rivals No. 3 Georgia in a tense matchup. The Vols and Bulldogs had no problems in Regional play as they both went 3-0.
No. 1 Texas, the reigning national champions, will host the Big 12 champions, No. 5 Arizona State. The Longhorns also won the SEC tournament in 2026.
The Sun Devils marched into the College Station Regional and beat hosts No. 4 Texas A&M twice, once on Saturday and the second time in Sunday’s championship game.
Arkansas will face No. 3 Duke, which survived the Durham Regional by beating Arizona twice on championship Sunday to reach its fourth Super Regional in the last five years.
As a conference, the SEC went 33-6 in Regional play, with losses coming from the eliminated Texas A&M, Ole Miss and South Carolina. The conference looks to reach new heights in the WCWS starting Thursday.
Category: Feature Sports News, Gator Sports, Gators Softball
