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With just a few weeks left in the regular season, the SEC softball standings don’t look like what many expected back in February. The usual suspects are still in the mix, but the script has flipped: Texas and Oklahoma — the two newest additions — have dropped pivotal games, while Tennessee and Texas A&M are surging at the perfect time. LSU and Florida are hanging around with plenty left to play for. And the chaos? It's peaking.

In a conference known for its national title contenders, the SEC race feels unusually open, and it could stay that way through the tournament. Here’s a look at how we got here, who’s trending up and which numbers matter most down the stretch.

Texas is making a statement — fast

The Longhorns (13-5 SEC, 41-6 overall) didn’t waste time adjusting to their new conference. In fact, they’re nearly leading it. Texas took down LSU (2-1) in a thrilling series this past weekend and enters the stretch with some momentum. The offense is clicking at an elite level — the Longhorns lead the SEC in batting average (.361) and slugging (.601).

Texas has cooled off slightly in SEC play, but Reese Atwood is still mashing. She leads the charge with 16 homers, a .417 average and 62 RBIs, but she’s far from alone. Five starters are hitting over .400, while Katie Stewart and Joley Mitchell have driven in 40+ runs.

But it won’t be easy from here. Texas still has a road series at Oklahoma and a regular-season finale against Kentucky, with the SEC tournament looming after that.

TOO FAST 🤘

— Texas Softball (@TexasSoftball)

Tennessee's pitching dominance has kept it close

The Lady Vols have yet to secure a WCWS title, but are right behind Texas in the standings — and look every bit like a contender this time around.

Tennessee (12-6 SEC, 37-9 overall) is riding a five-game win streak and currently leads the SEC in team ERA (1.73), thanks to the one-two punch of Karlyn Pickens and Sage Mardjetko. They’ve combined for over 280 strikeouts and have held SEC opponents to .316 at the plate.

Despite a tough midseason loss to Arkansas,  the Lady Vols have bounced back with key series wins over every other SEC opponent thus far. They’ll finish with a three-game series against Texas A&M, which has yet to win an SEC tournament.

A look at the current top contenders:

The middle of the pack could be title-breakers

Texas was the hottest team in the SEC through March, opening conference play 7-2, but has since cooled off with a series loss to Tennessee. Still, the Longhorns remain in striking distance and have one of the conference’s most complete lineups, hitting .361 as a team.

Florida has quietly turned into one of the SEC’s most resilient and dangerous teams. The Gators, now 39-10 overall and 11-7 in the SEC, have taken series against Texas A&M and Auburn while recently bouncing back from a series loss versus Texas with a pair of wins over Alabama. Their offense, led by Kendra Falby (.465 AVG, 33 stolen bases) and Taylor Shumaker (.380 AVG, 16 HR), is both quick and powerful. 

Pitching, too, has stabilized behind a reliable rotation featuring Ava Brown (10-1, 2.64 ERA) and Katelynn Oxley (2.13 ERA). Florida doesn’t boast the flashiest staff in the conference, but it's one of the deepest — and it’s showing late in the season. The Gators still face a challenging close to their schedule, but they’ve proven they can win both slugfests and tight games.

KORBE WALKOFF x

GATORS TAKE THE SERIES 🐊

📺 ESPN2 |

— Gators Softball (@GatorsSB)

Oklahoma, meanwhile, is still firmly in the mix at 13-5 in the conference, despite some recent turbulence. The Sooners — four-time defending national champions — dropped back-to-back SEC series to Tennessee and Alabama, but they’ve rebounded with a sweep of Mississippi State. Offensively, the Sooners remain elite, powered by Kasidi Pickering (.431 AVG, 13 HR) and Nelly McEnroe-Marinas (13 HR, 43 RBI). Their .330 team average is paired with 84 home runs, tied with Florida for the SEC lead.

Pitching is not as dominant as in past years, but Sam Landry (15-3, 1.89 ERA) has anchored a staff with a 2.53 team ERA and a .205 opposing batting average. With upcoming series against Texas and Florida still on the docket, the Sooners have a chance to make a final statement before the SEC tournament.

The SEC’s depth is absurd — and it matters

This isn’t just a six-team race. The depth of the conference means that teams like Arkansas, Alabama, Mississippi State and South Carolina can swing the title race at any moment. Just ask Oklahoma, who dropped a series to the Tide, or LSU, who will have to finish the season against both Arkansas and Florida.

Here’s a look at how each contender has fared against ranked SEC opponents this year:

The chaos continues

The final stretch of the season could shake up everything.

Texas faces its toughest test yet at Oklahoma this weekend. Tennessee takes on Clemson and Ole Miss, two top-25 teams. Texas A&M has Arkansas and the Vols ahead. And don’t sleep on Oklahoma — the Sooners get a shot at Florida, the reigning SEC champs, in their final regular-season series.

The SEC tournament begins May 6 in Athens, Georgia, and by then, the race for the top seed could come down to the final day of the regular season.

If you're looking for clarity, good luck. If you're looking for chaos, this SEC season has delivered.