Cal Softball Ranked in Top 25

Golden Bears face a challenge against No. 13 Washington this weekend in Seattle

Cal's softball team is ranked in the top 25 for the first time this season, and the Golden Bears' key series at Washington this weekend could push them higher.

There are several organizations and sites that produce a top-25 ranking in college softball, and Cal is still barely on the outside of all of them except one.

The DI1Softball site posts a reputable top 25, and the Golden Bears came in at No. 25 in that ranking after not being ranked the week before.

Cal's rise is due to the fact that it won two of three games from Utah this past weekend. The Utes were ranked in the top 25 in virtually every poll and are still No. 22 in the D1Softball ruankings. More significantly Utah is still in second place in the Pac-12 with a 6-3 conference mark, behind only UCLA, which is the top five of every softball ranking.

Cal is 24-9-1 overall and 6-5-1 in conference play, and the Bears' Elon Butler was named Pac-12 freshman of the week for her performance against the Utes. On Sunday she hit two home runs, including the game-winner, in a 5-4 victory, and she also had two hits, including a double, and an RBI on Friday to hit .500 for the series.

Power has been the Golden Bears' calling card. They have hit 47 home runs, which ranks second in the Pac-12, just one behind Arizona, which has played two more games than Cal.

Five Cal players have hit at least five home runs, led by Makena Smith, who has 11 homers, tied for the second-most in the conference.

The challenge become greater this weekend, in games Thursday, Friday and Saturday in Seattle against Washington, which is ranked 13th in the D1Softball rankings and as high as 10th in other rankings.

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Cover photo of Elon Butler crossing home plate after her second homer Sunday is by Darren Yamashita, Ultimate Sports Guide

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