Tennessee softball is the No. 1 team in the country, no matter where you look. On all four major polls in the sport, the Lady Vols have clocked in at the top spot. This features Softball America, National Fastpitch Coaches Association, ESPN/USA Softball and D1Softball.
This comes after Karen Weekly’s Tennessee squad got off to a 10-0 start over the course of a pair of trips to Clearwater, Florida. During this time, UT defeated six ranked foes and multiple top-10 opponents.
Due to the successful outing, sophomore pitcher Erin Nuwer was named D1Softball’s Shriners Children’s Clearwater Invitational MVP. Pitcher Karlyn Pickens and infielder Emma Clarke were also named to the All-Tournament team.
it’s february. keep hunting. pic.twitter.com/e3cZm8alk9
— Tennessee Softball (@Vol_Softball) February 17, 2026
More From RTI: The Weekly Weekly: Tennessee Softball Off to 10-0 Start, Secures Additional Top-10 Wins
Tennessee’s finest wins to this point come over then-ranked No. 5 Oregon, No. 6 UCLA, No. 7 Florida State, No. 11 Nebraska, No. 21 Liberty and No. 23 Florida Atlantic.
Over the 10 games played, Tennessee is now outscoring its opponents at a staggering 76-4 clip. Here’s a look a little deeper into the numbers:
- Hitting
- 17 doubles
- 13 home runs
- 20 stolen bases
- Pitching
- 0.33 ERA
- 4 runs allowed
- 73 strikeouts
- .121 opponent batting average
- 2 allowed doubles
- 1 allowed home run
- 2 allowed stolen bases
Next, Tennessee will play in the UAB Tournament. The Lady Vols will play Missouri State, UAB, Mercer and Southern Illinois in the event next weekend. Then, UT will host the Tennessee Invitational with Appalachian State (twice), Penn State (twice) and North Carolina Central on the schedule.
Then, after a midweek clash with Belmont, SEC play arrives. Tennessee opens with a three-game set with LSU in Knoxville from March 6-8. After midweek games against Austin Peay on the road and Lipscomb at home, the Lady Vols travel to Mississippi State, then Florida, to continue the conference slate.
