Entering the 2026 NCAA softball tournament, Gerry Glasco and the Texas Tech Red Raiders aren’t actually on a winning streak. The Texas Tech softball team came up short when facing off against the Arizona State Sun Devils in the Big 12 tournament championship game and now the Red Raiders need to find some momentum as we get set to watch the 2026 Lubbock Regional.
Texas Tech has national championship aspirations (and talent). With what we've seen from them so far, it’s certainly possible for the Red Raiders to make it all the way back to the Women’s College World Series finals after playing the Texas Longhorns for the national title a season ago.
But the Red Raiders won’t be flying under the radar for anyone. Everyone is very familiar with the massive accumulation of talent that has been stockpiled on Texas Tech’s roster. Heck, Texas Tech has 52 wins (tied for the best in the NCAA softball tournament) and the Big 12 regular season championship to show for it.
So, as Texas Tech gets set to host the Ole Miss Rebels, the Marist Red Foxes, and the Boston University Terriers this weekend, I have a few thoughts I’d like to think through a bit.
While Ole Miss has gotten my attention early on, the Boston University Terriers might be sneaky good and flying under the radar
Admittedly, the Ole Miss Rebels caught my eye when they were listed as participating in the Lubbock Regional. Part of that might be brand awareness-related bias, to be completely honest. But, in my defense, part of it could also be the fact that the Rebels are a solid team and challenged some interesting opponents in the SEC Tournament.
But I think it’s important that we don’t overlook how good the Boston University Terriers have been this season. Kylie Doherty has been unreal as she’s managed to put together a .396 batting average and has hit 26 home runs this year. That’s remarkable. As a team, the Terriers are hitting with a batting average of .336 and they’ve managed to put together 64 home runs on the season.
I admittedly wasn’t paying too close of attention to them, but that wasn’t fair. The Terriers are a well rounded team and they’ve certainly earned their 12-game winning streak. They shouldn’t be overlooked at all.
Still, the Ole Miss Rebels will be interesting to watch during the 2026 Lubbock Regional given their late season success
And back to the Rebels for a moment. Entering the postseason, Ole Miss doesn’t exactly have the best resume ever. This is a team that managed to get swept by the likes of the Texas Longhorns, Oklahoma Sooners, LSU Tigers, and the Texas A&M Aggies. This season, the Rebels went 34-24 overall and were 6-18 in SEC play.
But down the stretch, the Rebels seemed to find a winning formula. They took two of three from the Mississippi State Bulldogs (who were ranked at No. 16 at the time), claimed a couple of wins on the road against the Tennessee Lady Vols (ranked No. 4 at the time) during the regular season, and managed to beat the No. 23 South Carolina Gamecocks and the No. 5 Tennessee Lady Vols during the SEC Tournament.
Ole Miss isn’t perfect, but the Rebels are going to be interesting to keep an eye on.
Marist has hit a stride down the stretch but the Red Foxes aren’t all that impressive in neutral site games (and that context matters)
It’s never a bad thing to have a really impressive winning streak on your resume. Right now, the Marist Red Foxes have managed to put together a 17-game winning streak. And that’s something they should absolutely be proud of.
Interestingly enough, the Red Foxes have been particularly impressive in road games, putting an 18-6 record in those sorts of matchups. With a 37-19 overall record, that matters. But if you were to just look at neutral site contests, then there’s a bit of context that doesn’t look all that impressive for Marist.
That’s where the Red Foxes have struggled. Just 2-11 on the season. Which, you know, not great. That includes a collection of losses to Central Michigan, Rhode Island, Southeast Missouri State, Boston College, Saint Joseph’s, Colgate, UAB, Queens University of Charlotte, and Arizona State. So, yeah, not an ideal bunch of teams to lose to, but that momentum at the end of the season might help them out a bit.
This actually is a pretty solid draw for the Texas Tech softball team (at least on paper) and I’m here for it (even if the seeding isn’t ideal)
As a whole, when looking at the way this is stacked up, I think the Lubbock Regionals is a pretty good draw for the Texas Tech softball team. I think it’s certainly manageable. Especially for a team that has the likes of NiJaree Canady and Kaitlyn Terry on it.
The Red Raiders certainly have the potential to make the Women’s College World Series again this season and they need to consistently play to that sort of potential. They haven’t done that at times in recent weeks.
But as a whole, I like Texas Tech’s chances against that collection of teams. And I don’t mind this regional being paired up with the Gainesville Regional. I just wish the Red Raiders were the higher seed in that pairing.
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