# 1998 NCAA Division I softball rankings

The following human polls make up the 1998 NCAA Division I women's softball rankings. The NFCA/USA Today Poll is voted on by a panel of 32 Division I softball coaches and ranks to top 25 teams nationally.

## Legend

| | Increase in ranking |
| | Decrease in ranking |
| | Not ranked previous week |
| Italics | Number of first place votes |
| (#–#) | Win–loss record |
| т | Tied with team above or below also with this symbol |

## NFCA/USA Today

| | Week 0 Jan 24 | Week 1 Feb 25 | Week 2 Mar 4 | Week 3 Mar 11 | Week 4 Mar 18 | Week 5 Mar 25 | Week 6 Apr 1 | Week 7 Apr 8 | Week 8 Apr 15 | Week 9 Apr 22 | Week 10 Apr 29 | Week 11 May 6 | Week Final May 27 | |
| 1. | Arizona (25) | Arizona (25) (12–0) | Arizona (25) (18–0) | Arizona (25) (21–2) | Arizona (25) (22–2) | Arizona (25) (30–2) | Arizona (25) (34–2) | Arizona (25) (39–3) | Arizona (25) (43–3) | Arizona (25) (47–3) | Arizona (25) (51–3) | Arizona (25) (57–3) | Fresno State (25) | 1. |
| 2. | Fresno State | Washington (8–2) | Michigan (9–2) | Michigan (18–3) | Michigan (18–3) | Michigan (21–3) | Michigan (24–3) | Michigan (29–3) | Michigan (34–3) | Michigan (40–4) | Michigan (44–4) | Michigan (47–4) | Arizona | 2. |
| 3. | Washington | Michigan (4–1) | Washington (13–3) | Washington (13–3) | Washington (13–3) | Washington (17–4) | Fresno State (21–4) т | Fresno State (27–4) | Fresno State (29–6) | Washington (35–7) | Fresno State (41–8) | Fresno State (45–10) | Washington | 3. |
| 4. | Michigan | Fresno State (2–2) | Oklahoma State (15–2) | Oklahoma State (18–3) | Oklahoma State (22–3) | Fresno State (15–4) | Oklahoma (30–7) т | Washington (26–7) | Washington (30–7) | Fresno State (33–8) | Washington (38–9) | Washington (44–11) | Oklahoma State | 4. |
| 5. | Iowa | South Florida (11–2) | Fresno State (4–2) | Fresno State (8–2) | Fresno State (12–2) | Oklahoma (30–7) | Washington (17–6) т | Oklahoma (34–8) | Oklahoma (38–8) | Oklahoma (42–10) | South Florida (54–11) | Nebraska (44–10) | Nebraska | 5. |
| 6. | South Carolina | Oklahoma (13–1) | Oklahoma (19–3) | Oklahoma (22–5) | Oklahoma (26–5) | Texas (29–7) | South Florida (43–10) | South Florida (47–10) | South Florida (47–10) | South Florida (51–10) | Oklahoma (44–2) | South Florida (54–11) | Michigan | 6. |
| 7. | California | Arizona State (10–1) | South Florida (16–3) | South Florida (23–6) | Hawaii (28–3) | Arizona State (24–6) | Arizona State (26–8) | Nebraska (28–8) | Nebraska (32–8) | Nebraska (36–8) | Nebraska (38–10) | Oklahoma (47–13) | Texas | 7. |
| 8. | Colorado State | California (6–2) т | Arizona State (14–3) | Arizona State (14–3) | Arizona State (18–5) | Missouri (20–5) | Nebraska (26–8) | Oklahoma State (28–9) т | Texas (38–11) | Texas (41–12) | Texas (44–12) | Texas (46–14) | South Florida | 8. |
| 9. | Kansas | Oklahoma State (8–1) т | Missouri (9–2) | Missouri (16–5) | Missouri (16–5) | South Florida (34–9) | Texas (30–9) | Texas (34–11) т | Hawaii (36–8) | Stanford (29–12) | Stanford (33–14) | Stanford (35–16) | UMass | 9. |
| 10. | South Florida | Florida State (8–1) т | Long Beach State (12–4) | Long Beach State (16–5–1) | South Florida (28–9) | Oklahoma State (23–7) | Oklahoma State (25–7) | Arizona State (27–11) т | Oklahoma State (32–11) | LSU (47–6) | LSU (52–7) | Hawaii (45–13) | DePaul | 10. |
| 11. | Oklahoma State | South Carolina (3–1) | Hawaii (16–2) | Hawaii (19–3) | Texas (23–6) | Hawaii (30–6) | Missouri (24–7) | Hawaii (32–8) | LSU (43–6) т | Hawaii (36–10) | Oklahoma State (35–15) | DePaul (41–6) | Oklahoma State | 11. |
| 12. | UMass | Missouri (7–2) | Florida State (10–5) | Oregon State (15–3) | Nebraska (14–5) | Nebraska (21–7) | Hawaii (32–8) | Stanford (25–8) | Stanford (28–9) т | Oklahoma State (33–14) | Hawaii (41–13) | LSU (53–10) | Stanford | 12. |
| 13. | Missouri | Long Beach State (7–3) | California (8–5) | Nebraska (10–4) т | Long Beach State (17–8–1) | Long Beach State (22–8–2) | Stanford (23–6) | LSU (37–6) | Arizona State (27–13) т | Arizona State (32–16) | DePaul (33–5) | Oklahoma State (37–17) | LSU | 13. |
| 14. | Long Beach State | Iowa (2–2) | South Carolina (6–4) | Iowa (8–4) т | Stanford (15–4) | Stanford (17–4) | LSU (35–5) | Missouri (27–10) | Florida State (45–15) | Long Beach State (28–12) | Long Beach State (32–13) | Florida State (50–18) | Hawaii | 14. |
| 15. | Cal State Northridge | Hawaii (4–2) | Nebraska (9–4) | Stanford (10–3) т | LSU (23–4) | Iowa (14–5) | Long Beach State (23–9–2) | Florida State (42–13) | Missouri (29–14) | DePaul (31–5) | Arizona State (34–18) | Long Beach State (36–16) | Arizona State | 15. |
| 16. | Oklahoma | Kansas (7–5) | Iowa (2–2) | LSU (15–2) | Iowa (8–4) | LSU (14–5) | Florida State (38–13) | Minnesota (31–8) | Minnesota (33–11) | Florida State (47–18) | Florida State (50–18) | Arizona State (36–22) | Minnesota | 16. |
| 17. | UCLA | Stanford (6–1) | Stanford (10–3) | Florida State (18–9) | Florida State (28–12) | Florida State (32–12) | California (22–13) | Oregon (31–13) | Long Beach State (28–12) | Texas Tech (42–16) | Texas Tech (44–18) | Texas Tech (45–20) | Florida State | 17. |
| 18. | Utah | Minnesota (12–3) | Cal State Northridge (9–4) | Texas (20–6) | Oregon State (15–5) | Oregon State (17–8) | Minnesota (26–8) | Long Beach State (24–11–1) | Oregon State (22–13) т | Missouri (31–18) | Iowa (32–14) | Cal State Northridge (36–17) | Long Beach State | 18. |
| 19. | Southwestern Louisiana | Colorado State (2–3) | LSU (10–2) | Cal State Northridge (11–5–1) | Oregon (19–6) | California (20–11) | Texas Tech (34–10) | Texas Tech (38–14) | Texas Tech (40–16) т | California (28–19) | Cal State Northridge (34–17) | Iowa (35–16) | Iowa | 19. |
| 20. | Central Michigan | LSU (6–2) | Oregon State (11–3) | Minnesota (20–7) | Minnesota (20–7) | Minnesota (20–7) | Iowa (14–8) | California (23–16) | DePaul (25–5) т | Iowa (28–12) | UIC (51–16) | UIC (59–19) | Oregon | 20. |
| 21. | Florida State | DePaul (4–2) | Minnesota (14–7) | South Carolina (8–6) | California (15–9) | Cal State Northridge (17–11–1) | Oregon (28–13) | Oregon State (20–13) | California (24–17) | Minnesota (34–14) | California (30–21) | UMass (40–12) | UIC | 21. |
| 22. | Michigan State | Texas A&M (11–3) | Kansas (10–8) | California (8–8) т | Cal State Northridge (13–9–1) | Oregon (23–10) | Oregon State (18–11) | Iowa (19–10) | Iowa (24–10) | Oregon State (25–16) | Missouri (36–19) | Minnesota (45–17) | California | 22. |
| 23. | Arizona State | Oregon State (8–2) | Colorado State (5–6) | Oregon (15–6) т | Texas Tech (27–7) | Texas Tech (32–10) | Southwestern Louisiana (23–8) | UIC (40–13) | Oregon (32–17) | Cal State Northridge (31–16) | Minnesota (39–16) | Florida (45–18) | Cal State Northridge | 23. |
| 24. | DePaul | Cal State Northridge (3–3) | DePaul (4–2) | Southwestern Louisiana (8–3) | Southwestern Louisiana (13–5) | DePaul (10–4) | UIC (38–13) | Southwestern Louisiana (25–8) | UIC (44–15) | UIC (49–16) | UMass (35–12) | California (30–25) | Texas Tech | 24. |
| 25. | Tennessee | Utah (0–0) т Southwestern Louisiana (0–0) т | Southwestern Louisiana (4–1) | DePaul (5–3) | Florida (20–10) | Southwestern Louisiana (17–8) | Michigan State (20–7) | Cal State Northridge (23–14) | Cal State Northridge (26–15) | Oregon (33–20) | Florida (41–18) | Missouri (36–20) | Florida | 25. |
| | Week 0 Jan 24 | Week 1 Feb 25 | Week 2 Mar 4 | Week 3 Mar 11 | Week 4 Mar 18 | Week 5 Mar 25 | Week 6 Apr 1 | Week 7 Apr 8 | Week 8 Apr 15 | Week 9 Apr 22 | Week 10 Apr 29 | Week 11 May 6 | Week Final May 27 | |
| | | Dropped: 12. UMass17. UCLA20. Central Michigan22. Michigan State | Dropped: 22. Texas A&M25. (т) Utah | Dropped: 22. Kansas23. Colorado State | Dropped: 21. South Carolina25. DePaul | Dropped: 25. Florida | Dropped: 21. Cal State Northridge24. DePaul | Dropped: 25. Michigan State | Dropped: 24. Southwestern Louisiana | None | Dropped: 22. Oregon State25. Oregon | None | Dropped: Missouri | |