Texas Softball: Longhorns finish with No. 1 ranking final poll

The likely final poll for the 2020 season for the Texas softball program had them ranked No. 1, which was proven with their 24-3 record.

All of the final rankings for spring sports that were cancelled for the rest of their seasons by the NCAA, and the Big 12 individually, started to release earlier this week. And the Texas softball program was one of those that got a high mark in what is very likely to be their final ranking of the season, but it is also one that left fans asking questions about what was ahead.

The Texas Longhorns softball team was off to a very hot start this season. For much of the earlier portion of the softball regular season, Texas looked the part of the nation’s best team. But it was too early to say for sure what Texas was going to be this season.

Texas finished up with a record of 24-3, and 16-2 at home, before the hiatus was placed on spring sports by the NCAA and Big 12. But they had not started Big 12 play yet. The Big 12 schedule was actually set to begin last weekend, with the first game coming against the rival Oklahoma Sooners on March 20.

The last game that the Longhorns played in before the end of the season came on March 8 at home, which resulted in a 8-0 win over the New Mexico Lobos. They were in the midst of the Longhorn Invitational. Texas swept their portion of the Longhorn Invitational, which included wins over New Mexico, Liberty, and Texas Southern.

The next game for Texas was supposed to come on March 13 against Bryant. That matchup against Bryant was the opener for Texas as part of the T-Town Showdown in Tuscaloosa two weeks ago. They would also face the Alabama Crimson Tide and BYU Cougars in this invitational series.

Moreover, the final Softball America poll for the 2020 season had Texas at No. 1. They were followed up by UCLA, Washington, Arizona, and Oklahoma to round out the to five (in that order from top-to-bottom).

Outside of Texas and Oklahoma, there were only two other teams from the Big 12 in the final Softball America poll, Oklahoma State (No. 8) and Baylor (No. 24). The Big 12 did have three legit title contenders this year between the Oklahoma schools and Texas.