Six Big Ten teams received votes in the March 23 ESPN/USA Softball Top-25, including Oregon (26-9) at No. 17. With two teams on the fringe of the top 25, four within it and two in the top 10, the Big Ten landscape is coming together three weeks into conference play.

Player of the Year Candidate paces No. 6 Nebraska 

The 26-6 Cornhuskers came into Big Ten play battle-tested with a 6-4 record in ranked matchups. There is a notable drop off from the No. 5 University of Florida, which has just two losses, to Nebraska, but the Cornhuskers are taking care of business in conference play and started 6-0. Senior two-way star Jordyn Frahm has keyed the Cornhuskers’ success, pitching to a 1.70 ERA in 90.2 innings, while batting .429 with 13 HR and 31 RBI. Nebraska shouldn’t struggle with run support in most Big Ten matchups, but it will need to retain its success when competition ramps back up. 

No. 8 UCLA thrives in the box, struggles in the circle

The Bruins’ lineup sits top-three in the nation in nearly every team hitting stat through its first 34 games, batting .393 with 102 home runs and scoring 11.02 runs per game leading to a 29-5 record. Seniors Megan Grant and Jordan Woolery headline UCLA’s offense, sitting fifth and ninth in Division I in batting average, respectively. UCLA is less convincing in the circle, where senior ace Taylor Tinsley has pitched to a 2.91 ERA in 101 innings, while no other Bruin has an ERA under five. After dropping two of its three games against Nebraska in its toughest test of the conference season, UCLA will spend most of April fine-tuning its game against lesser opponents before looking to boost its resume against Washington and Oregon in its final two series.

No. 16 Washington steadily climbs rankings

Coming off a middling 2025 season, Washington has established itself as one of the Big Ten’s best teams in 2026 with a 30-6 record. Sophomore pitcher Morgan Reimer has grown into one of the best pitchers in the conference, leading in innings pitched with 103.2 and sitting second only to Frahm with a 1.89 ERA. At the plate, Kaycie Burdick paces the offense, batting .435, while Alexis DeBoer and Giselle Alvarez provide power with 12 home runs each. Sitting 1-5 against ranked opponents, the Huskies will spend their conference schedule preparing to prove themselves against Oregon and UCLA in back-to-back late-season series.

Well-Rounded Indiana lingers near poll

The Hoosiers still received nine votes in the the top 25 after a 24-12 midweek loss to Oregon, which reflected Indiana’s strength in the lineup and relative uncertainty in the circle. Indiana’s 27-7 record warrants some belief that it could move back into the rankings by outplaying most Big Ten teams and potentially stealing games from the teams ahead of it. The Hoosiers feature a strong lineup, with Aly VanBrandt and Avery Parker each batting over .400 while clubbing 10 home runs. Four different Indiana pitchers have thrown over 30 innings, with sophomore Ella Troutt leading the way with a 2.71 ERA in 62 innings. 

Purdue’s strong conference start earns a vote

Purdue received one vote in the top 25 after sweeping Ohio State in its Big Ten opener, and taking one game of its second conference series against Oregon. After dropping game one against the Ducks 6-0, the Boilermakers took the second game 7-4 and nearly stole the series if not for a walkoff 2-1 loss. Purdue could enter the postseason with favorable seeding with UCLA and Nebraska absent from its schedule, and its 25-10 record establishes it near the top of the conference. Junior Moriah Polar is in the running for Big Ten Player of the Year, with her .602 batting average leading the conference and sitting third in the nation.