The Ole Miss softball program has once again earned a spot in the preseason national rankings, as the Rebels have been selected as the No. 22 team in the ESPN/USA Softball poll.
The Rebels have now been tabbed to three of the four major softball preseason polls in the nation, with the NFCA poll yet to be released. Tuesday’s ranking is the highest of the three, with the Rebels also ranked No. 24 in D1Softball and No. 25 in Softball America’s preseason rankings.
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The mark is the program’s highest preseason ranking since 2020, when the Rebels were tabbed as the No. 21 team in the nation by USA Today/NFCA.
Several key players from last season’s run to the Women’s College World Series return again in 2026 to pace the Rebels, including All-SEC sophomore Persy Llamas, NFCA All-South Region sophomore Mackenzie Pickens and seniors Taylor Malvin and Taylor Roman. As a whole, the Rebels feature 16 newcomers in the form of 10 transfers and six freshmen.
The Rebels open the regular season on Feb. 5 in a doubleheader at Cal State Fullerton to kick off the season-opening Easton Classic. The doubleheader is set to begin at 7 p.m. CT.