Liberty Ranked No. 23 in ESPN.com/USA Softball Preseason Poll
1/20/2026 2:30:00 PM | Softball
LYNCHBURG, Va. -Â The Liberty softball team is ranked No. 23 in the ESPN.com/USA Softball Collegiate Top 25 Poll. The Lady Flames are also listed among "others receiving votes" in the D1 Softball Preseason Top 25.
This is the fourth time in program history that Liberty has appeared in the Top 25 in a preseason national poll. The Lady Flames received their first-ever national Top 25 ranking, appearing 21st in the 2019 Softball America Preseason Top 25. Liberty was ranked No. 24 in preseason polls from D1Softball, NFCA and Softball America in 2022. Last year, the Lady Flames were ranked in the Top 25 preseason polls by both Softball America (20) and D1Softball (24).
The D1Softball Top 25 poll is voted on by a group of national analysts and media members who cover the game on a consistent basis.
The ESPN.com/USA Softball Collegiate Top 25 Poll is voted on by coaching representatives from nine Division I Conferences in the 10 USA Softball Regions as well as members of National and Local media who consistently cover Division I softball across the country.
Last year, Liberty received its highest end-of-year national rankings last year, being ranked No. 15 by both Softball America and D1Softball, 16th by USA Softball and 17th by NFCA.
The Lady Flames finished the 2025 season with a 50-15 record, setting a new program record for single-season victories. Liberty won both the Conference USA regular-season and tournament titles for the second year in a row. The team made history at the 2025 NCAA Bryan-College Station Regional, winning two out of three games against No. 1 Texas A&M to earn its first-ever Super Regional appearance. The Lady Flames were the first team in the Super Regional era to knock out the No. 1 national seed in the Regional round.
Liberty is one out of two teams outside of the Power Four conferences to compete in NCAA Regionals all five years since after the CoVID-shortened 2020 season, joining Miami (Ohio). The Lady Flames are also one of five NCAA Division I softball teams to win 16 or more conference games in every full season since 2016, joining Cal State Fullerton, Florida State, Â Oklahoma and UCLA.
Liberty opens its 2026 season against Tennessee on Feb. 6 at the NFCA Division I Leadoff Classic in Clearwater, Fla.
This is the fourth time in program history that Liberty has appeared in the Top 25 in a preseason national poll. The Lady Flames received their first-ever national Top 25 ranking, appearing 21st in the 2019 Softball America Preseason Top 25. Liberty was ranked No. 24 in preseason polls from D1Softball, NFCA and Softball America in 2022. Last year, the Lady Flames were ranked in the Top 25 preseason polls by both Softball America (20) and D1Softball (24).
The D1Softball Top 25 poll is voted on by a group of national analysts and media members who cover the game on a consistent basis.
The ESPN.com/USA Softball Collegiate Top 25 Poll is voted on by coaching representatives from nine Division I Conferences in the 10 USA Softball Regions as well as members of National and Local media who consistently cover Division I softball across the country.
Last year, Liberty received its highest end-of-year national rankings last year, being ranked No. 15 by both Softball America and D1Softball, 16th by USA Softball and 17th by NFCA.
The Lady Flames finished the 2025 season with a 50-15 record, setting a new program record for single-season victories. Liberty won both the Conference USA regular-season and tournament titles for the second year in a row. The team made history at the 2025 NCAA Bryan-College Station Regional, winning two out of three games against No. 1 Texas A&M to earn its first-ever Super Regional appearance. The Lady Flames were the first team in the Super Regional era to knock out the No. 1 national seed in the Regional round.
Liberty is one out of two teams outside of the Power Four conferences to compete in NCAA Regionals all five years since after the CoVID-shortened 2020 season, joining Miami (Ohio). The Lady Flames are also one of five NCAA Division I softball teams to win 16 or more conference games in every full season since 2016, joining Cal State Fullerton, Florida State, Â Oklahoma and UCLA.
Liberty opens its 2026 season against Tennessee on Feb. 6 at the NFCA Division I Leadoff Classic in Clearwater, Fla.
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