The Nevada Wolf Pack softball team celebrates a series sweep over Colorado State, solidifying their position in the Mountain West standings. With two weeks left in the season, three teams have clinched tournament spots, while seven vie for the remaining spots.
Key points
Nevada Wolf Pack celebrates series sweep over Colorado State
Three teams have clinched spots in the conference tournament
Seven teams are competing for the last three tournament spots
Two weeks remain in the 2026 softball season
Nevada holds a 34-14 record and is ranked #1
Nevada Wolf PackColorado State Rams
The Nevada Wolf Pack softball team celebrates together after completing a series sweep over the Colorado State Rams on April 19, 2026. | Nevada Athletics
The Nevada Wolf Pack softball team celebrates together after completing a series sweep over the Colorado State Rams on April 19, 2026. | Nevada Athletics
There are two weeks left in the 2026 season, and scenarios for the conference tournament have become clear. Three teams have already clinched a spot, with the remaining seven all having a chance at one of the last three spots. Said three clinching teams each have a good chance to take home the regular season title as well. Instead of doing the usual song and dance about each team’s best performers, I figured now would be a good time to start going into what each team needs to happen to either make it to the tournament at all, or to win the regular season title and the #1 seed in the tournament. Without further ado, let’s get into it.
1. #RV/NR Nevada Wolf Pack (34-14, 14-5 MW)
Last Week: #1
NCAA RPI: #50
This Week’s Games:
at Northern Colorado (20-25) – W, 6-1
vs. Fresno State (20-20) – April 24, 5:00 p.m. PDT, Mountain West Network
vs. Fresno State (20-20) – April 25, 3:00 p.m. PDT, Mountain West Network
vs. Fresno State (20-20) – April 26, 12:00 p.m. PDT, Mountain West Network
Nevada had another successful week in Week 11, defeating Pacific for the third time this season before heading to Fort Collins, completely embarrassing the Rams by a combined 36-10, securing the Pack’s first three-game conference sweep. With the sweep complete, Nevada was able to clinch a spot in the Mountain West Tournament, while also pulling within two games of current top-seeded GCU for the #1 seed in the tournament. Armed with the league’s top offense (.343 BA, .976 OPS, both first), along with the second-best pitching staff in the conference (3.57 ERA, 232 strikeouts, both second), the Wolf Pack will now head into their final two conference series, in hot pursuit of that #1 seed.
Their hunt will start this weekend, at home against a slumping Fresno State team that has lost five of their last eight games. The Bulldogs are currently #101 in RPI rankings, meaning that this is currently a Quad 4 series for the Wolf Pack. Nevada, ranked #50 in RPI right now, already has five Q4 losses, so this is a crucial series to get another sweep in. Due to this being a Quad 1 road series for the Bulldogs, they would likely rise to a Q3 team in the rankings, even if they get swept by the Wolf Pack, so this series still has potential to help Nevada’s tournament resume slightly.
Q&A
What are the current standings for the Mountain West softball teams?
As of now, three teams have clinched spots in the conference tournament, with seven teams still competing for the remaining three spots.
How did the Nevada Wolf Pack perform against Colorado State?
The Nevada Wolf Pack completed a series sweep over the Colorado State Rams on April 19, 2026.
What do the remaining teams need to qualify for the Mountain West tournament?
The remaining teams need to secure wins in their upcoming games to improve their chances of qualifying for the tournament.
Who are the top teams in the Mountain West softball rankings?
The Nevada Wolf Pack is currently ranked #1 in the Mountain West, followed by two other teams that have clinched tournament spots.
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In order to lock up the #1 seed in the tournament, the Wolf Pack pretty much need to win out, which will be difficult considering it requires the Pack to also sweep UNLV in Las Vegas. If they do, they will need the Lopes to take two or more losses to UNLV and Colorado State in their final conference series. While this may seem hopeless at first, Grand Canyon had their first atrocious loss of the season this weekend, getting run-ruled by the sinking ship known as the Aztecs in Sunday’s series finale. The Lopes have proven vulnerable, so Nevada still has a sliver of hope to potentially win the regular-season title. They simply need to continue doing what they did last week and hope that the rest works itself out.
2. #21/RV GCU Lopes (43-6, 16-3 MW)
Last Week: #2
NCAA RPI: #31
This Week’s Games:
vs. UNLV (27-18) – April 24, 7:00 p.m. MST, Mountain West Network
vs. UNLV (27-18) – April 25, 1:00 p.m. MST, Mountain West Network
vs. UNLV (27-18) – April 26, 11:00 a.m. MST, Mountain West Network
Before this week, Grand Canyon had only taken losses to ranked teams and the Wolf Pack on the season, all of which could be considered “good losses.” That all changed on Sunday, when the dominant Lopes became just the second team to get run-ruled by San Diego State in conference play. While this does count as a not-so-bad Quad 2 loss, and GCU did still take the series, the Lopes’ confidence has surely been shaken by a team that has been playing atrociously for months, leaving them vulnerable to attack heading into the final stretch of the season. GCU still has the second-best offense in the conference (.317 BA, third, .970 OPS, second), and lead the conference in ERA (2.14), though that last unit certainly took a hit in their 9-1 loss.
GCU will host UNLV for their final conference home series this weekend. What was initially projected to be an easy coronation of a dominant conference champion has turned a bit shaky, as UNLV is actually right behind the Lopes, just two games back of the top spot the Lopes have held since the beginning of the season. The Rebels have won 14 of their last 17 games this season, and have won every conference series since their opening-week slipup against San Jose State. The Rebs are the hottest team in the conference, armed with an offense nearly as good as that of the Lopes. GCU really needs to sweep the Rebels here, not just for conference standings purposes, but to build some sort of confidence back heading into the home stretch.
The Lopes need to go 5-1 over the next two weekends in order to lock up the top spot in the conference tournament. If they can get past UNLV unscathed, their quest would only need to pass through the CSU Rams, who just got thrashed by Nevada at home. Even if the Lopes went 4-2 down the stretch, they will still likely take the title, as Nevada would have to sweep their next two opponents, which includes doing so against UNLV on the road. The Lopes have their new conference in hand, they just need to take care of their own business.
3. UNLV Lady Rebels (27-18, 14-5 MW)
Last Week: #3
NCAA RPI: #121
This Week’s Games:
at #21/RV GCU (43-6) – April 24, 7:00 p.m. PDT, Mountain West Network
at #21/RV GCU (43-6) – April 25, 1:00 p.m. PDT, Mountain West Network
at #21/RV GCU (43-6) – April 26, 11:00 a.m. PDT, Mountain West Network
UNLV was the third and final team to clinch a spot in the conference tournament this weekend, more than keeping pace with the Pack and Lopes by sweeping Boise State on the road. The Rebels are red-hot, and while they are more than eliminated from at-large consideration, they do still have a chance to use their lethal offense (.316 BA, .918 OPS, both fourth) and rapidly improving pitching staff (4.46 ERA, seventh) to win the regular-season conference outright. Unfortunately for the Rebels, they have by far the toughest remaining schedule of any team in the conference.
UNLV will travel to Phoenix for the second time this season this weekend, this time to match up against the Lopes themselves. GCU proved vulnerable by getting run-ruled by SDSU on Sunday, so the Rebels have a blueprint of how to take down this team, as well as their rivals’ example of how to take down the Lopes on the road. This will be a very tall task, but if UNLV can win this series, they would pull just a game back of the Lopes for the top spot in the conference, which would set up a phenomenal final weekend of MW play.
UNLV’s road to the top spot is certainly the toughest of the three contenders, but everything is right in front of them. After taking on GCU, the Rebels host hated rival Nevada for their final conference series. Sweeping either of these teams is unlikely, so the most likely great scenario for the Rebs is going 4-2, winning both series. If UNLV does this, they would only need GCU to lose one of three games against the Rams to claim the ultimate prize. It is entirely possible that all three of the contenders would wind up tied at 18-7 in conference play, which would be a beautifully chaotic end to this season, crowning a fittingly chaotic champion: UNLV. Good luck, Rebs. Everything is in front of you, you now just need to go out and take it.
4. New Mexico Lobos (22-23, 9-10 MW)
Last Week: #6
NCAA RPI: #115
This Week’s Games:
vs. New Mexico State (23-22) – W, 10-6
at San Jose State (13-29) – April 24, 7:00 p.m. MDT, Mountain West Network
at San Jose State (13-29) – April 25, 4:00 p.m. MDT, Mountain West Network
at San Jose State (13-29) – April 26, 1:00 p.m. MDT, Mountain West Network
The Lobos had a fantastic week, defeating Fresno State in a must-win series at home to pull into fourth place in the conference standings. This week has also started out great, as a long-postponed rematch against hated rival New Mexico State went the Lobos’ way, giving them yet another dose of momentum at this crucial point of the season. New Mexico may not rank very high either offensively (.277 BA, seventh) or defensively (4.43 ERA, fifth), but they are heating up at the right time, having won 10 of their last 15 games, as well as three in a row.
The Lobos have a road series at lowly San Jose State this weekend, a fantastic chance to solidify their spot in the tournament. The Spartans are 2-2 in their last four, but before that had lost 11 of 12. SJSU will be desperate to save their season against the Lobos, which could lead to a horribly timed slipup if the Lobos aren’t careful.
The easiest way for the Lobos to clinch a spot in the conference tournament would be by sweeping the Spartans, in which case they would clinch if either Utah State or San Diego State fail to sweep their opponents this week. If the Lobos go 2-1, they could still clinch if both the Aggies and the Aztecs lost their respective series. If both the Aztecs or Aggies sweep their opponents, the Lobos would have to wait until next week to officially clinch a spot, no matter what they do against SJSU. If the Lobos were to lose their series to the Spartans, they could not clinch a spot this week. This series, while easy on paper, is absolutely critical for these Lobos to win.
5. Fresno State Bulldogs (20-20, 9-10 MW)
Last Week: #4
NCAA RPI: #101
This Week’s Games:
at #RV/NR Nevada (34-14) – April 24, 5:00 p.m. PDT, Mountain West Network
at #RV/NR Nevada (34-14) – April 25, 3:00 p.m. PDT, Mountain West Network
at #RV/NR Nevada (34-14) – April 26, 12:00 p.m. PDT, Mountain West Network
Fresno State started off last week by getting crushed at home by Stanford, then were upset two games to one on the road at New Mexico, falling behind the Lobos in the conference standings. The Bulldogs still have a possible way to clinch a spot in the conference tournament this week, but also have just about the worst possible opponent to attempt to do that at all.
Fresno State ranks fifth in batting average (.283) and third in ERA (3.76). They will take this performance on the road to Nevada, who rank top two in the conference in nearly every stat. The Wolf Pack have won 10 of their last 11 games, as well as six in a row. Nevada needs to sweep the Bulldogs here in order to keep their NCAA at-large hopes alive, so they will be showing no mercy towards their longtime rivals here. This is not a good place for Fresno State to be in entering the final week of the season.
Fresno State’s most likely good scenario is to lose the series to the Wolf Pack, two games to one. If this happens, the best case scenario for Fresno State would be if San Diego State loses two of three to Boise State, Colorado State loses two of three to Utah State, and New Mexico gets swept in a catasrophic upset at San Jose State. That scenario would make it so that the Bulldogs would still have to win two of three against the Aztecs next week to clinch a spot in the tournament. Most other scenarios would result in the exact same “win and in” scenario against SDSU. The week to focus on is next week, anything they achieve this week will just be a bonus.
6. Colorado State Rams (20-24, 8-11 MW)
Last Week: #5
NCAA RPI: #169
This Week’s Games:
at Utah State (19-28) – April 24, 4:00 p.m. MDT, Mountain West Network
at Utah State (19-28) – April 25, 12:00 p.m. MDT, Mountain West Network
at Utah State (19-28) – April 26, 12:00 p.m. MDT, Mountain West Network
Colorado State took a nosedive at the absolute worst possible time last week, being swept at home by Nevada in humiliating, uncompetitive fashion. The Rams are now just a game above the tournament cut line, and with their recent performance overshadowing their overall stats on the season, the focus now turns to a rapid team turnaround, with next to no time to do it.
CSU travels to Logan this weekend for a matchup against Utah State: the team directly behind them in the conference standings. Utah State has an absolutely horrific pitching staff, and have been on a months-long skid, having won just nine of their last 31 games dating back to the middle of nonconference play. Over that span, the Aggies have maintained a team ERA of nearly 10.00. I cannot stress enough how much trouble the Rams are in if they cannot just win this series, but sweep it.
Obviously, the Rams cannot clinch a spot in the tournament this week, even if they sweep the Aggies and all of their competitors get swept themselves. The most likely good scenario would be for the Rams to simply win this series, which would still leave the Rams in a very bad spot, regardless of what else happens in the other games this week. That’s because the Rams’ season-ending series will be a home matchup with Grand Canyon, who has not only been indominable for the vast majority of the season, but will very likely need to sweep the Rams in order to lock down the conference tournament #1 seed. There are ways the Rams could still get into the conference tournament if they were to lose four of their final six games, but if they lose any more, there is no way for them to make it at all.
7. Utah State Aggies (19-28, 7-12 MW)
Last Week: #8
NCAA RPI: #145
This Week’s Games:
at Utah Valley (26-19) – L, 10-6
vs. Colorado State (20-24) – April 24, 4:00 p.m. MDT, Mountain West Network
vs. Colorado State (20-24) – April 25, 12:00 p.m. MDT, Mountain West Network
vs. Colorado State (20-24) – April 26, 12:00 p.m. MDT, Mountain West Network
Utah State defeated the lowly Spartans two games to one in their home series last week, marking just their third conference series win, all of which have come against the three teams from California. No such teams are left to face, so the Aggies will have to figure out how to beat one more team that has nothing to do with the Golden State if they wish to make it to the conference tournament.
The Aggies will face the CSU Rams at home this weekend, a week after the Rams were obliterated at home by Nevada by a final score of 36-10. Utah State’s offense (.283 average, fifth) has more than enough firepower to defeat the Rams given their recent struggles, but USU’s pitching staff will almost certainly wind up being the death of them this season, having given up an ERA well over 9.00 over the last two months straight.
If USU can beat Colorado State, they would control their own destiny for the conference tournament heading into the final week of the season. If not, they would have to beat New Mexico, while also hoping Fresno State beats San Diego State and Colorado State gets swept by Grand Canyon. Best not to let things even get to that point, Aggies.
8. San Diego State Aztecs (22-22, 7-12 MW)
Last Week: #10
NCAA RPI: #92
This Week’s Games:
vs. Boise State (20-29) – April 24, 6:00 p.m. PDT, Mountain West Network
vs. Boise State (20-29) – April 25, 4:00 p.m. PDT, Mountain West Network
vs. Boise State (20-29) – April 26, 12:00 p.m. PDT, Mountain West Network
Congrats, Aztecs. You beat Grand Canyon, even run-ruled them for good measure. Maybe if you wanted me to consider you as something more than a full-on disgrace, you shouldn’t have gotten run-ruled in each of the first two games of the series. Regardless of my disdain for this team’s performance throughout the second half of the season, the Aztecs somehow still have a realistic chance at the conference tournament, though they currently do not control their own destiny.
SDSU hosts Boise State this weekend for a crucial series, one where the loser will likely be eliminated from contention entirely. The Broncos have lost 11 of their last 13 games, their only wins over that span coming against Utah State and their abhorrent pitching staff. Boise State is about as easy of an opponent as you could hope for at this point in the season, but the victory versus GCU has not made me forget about how many times I have said that with regards to an Aztec opponent this season.
If the Aztecs even win the series against the Broncos, that will likely put them into a win-and-in series against Fresno State to close the season. If they can’t beat the Broncos, they will be in a heap of trouble in Week 13, given Boise State’s final opponent is San Jose State. Until I see the Aztecs are able to keep their level of performance from their win against GCU up consistently, I cannot see this team making it to the conference tournament at all.
9. Boise State Broncos (20-29, 6-13 MW)
Last Week: #7
NCAA RPI: #109
This Week’s Games:
at San Diego State (22-22) – April 24, 7:00 p.m. MDT, Mountain West Network
at San Diego State (22-22) – April 25, 5:00 p.m. MDT, Mountain West Network
at San Diego State (22-22) – April 26, 1:00 p.m. MDT, Mountain West Network
Boise State was swept at home by UNLV this weekend, putting themselves into a horrible situation, being two games back of a tournament spot with just six left to play. That fact goes perfectly in combination with their current streak of six straight losses, as well as 11 of their last 13. The Broncos are on the verge of being eliminated, and I fully expect them to do just that after their series this weekend.
Boise State will travel to San Diego for a matchup with the Aztecs this weekend. SDSU also needs to win this series if they have any hope of making it to the conference tournament, and the Aztecs got back on track with a victory over the GCU Lopes in their series’ final game on Sunday. Whether the Aztecs can continue to play well remains to be seen, but also I have less faith in the Broncos than I do in any other team in the conference at this point.
If the Broncos lose this series to the Aztecs, they will be eliminated from the conference tournament if: Fresno State takes at least one game against the Wolf Pack, and if Colorado State wins two against Utah State. If the Broncos win this series, they cannot realistically be eliminated this week, but they will likely still not be in a very good spot entering the final week of the season. If things work out for the Broncos this week, their final series is against the Spartans, which will give them an opportunity to complete an incredible season comeback.
10. San Jose State Spartans (13-29, 5-14 MW)
Last Week: #9
NCAA RPI: #164
This Week’s Games:
vs. New Mexico (22-23) – April 24, 6:00 p.m. PDT, Mountain West Network
vs. New Mexico (22-23) – April 25, 3:00 p.m. PDT, Mountain West Network
vs. New Mexico (22-23) – April 26, 12:00 p.m. PDT, Mountain West Network
San Jose State lost a crucial series at Utah State this week, falling to three games back of a conference tournament spot with just six games remaining. The Spartans are the most likely team to get eliminated this week, the outcome most people expected for Tammy Lohmann’s squad all the way back in the preseason.
SJSU will host New Mexico this week for their final conference home series. The Lobos are riding high after a series win over Fresno State, and UNM matches up against the Spartans particularly well, being a slightly better version of the Spartans in most ways. New Mexico’s recent run of form should easily carry them through this series, but perhaps the Spartans can snag a game or two off of them.
If San Jose State loses this series against the Lobos, they will be eliminated from conference tournament contention. Even if they win this series somehow, they will need to win out and get a lot of help from across the conference in order to make it in. Unfortunately, this did ultimately turn out to be a rebuilding year for San Jose State after all. It’s unfortunate, but perhaps with another year of experience under these players’ belts, 2027 can be a return to the Spartans’ usual, competent form.
