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USA Today
27-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Womens' College World Series Players to Watch for all 8 teams
Womens' College World Series Players to Watch for all 8 teams The Women's College World Series gets underway on Thursday with a talented group of players descending upon Oklahoma City. 17 of Softball America's first and second-team All-Americans will be in town to compete for the national title, led by Pitcher of the Year Karlyn Pickens and Freshman of the Year Taylor Shumaker. While the Oklahoma Sooners are the top seed remaining in the tournament, any of the eight teams are good enough to win it all. Teams like Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas Tech, and Oregon have the pitching to keep the games low-scoring. The Sooners, Florida, Ole Miss, Texas, and Oregon have the lineups that can create some high-scoring affairs. The week and a half of action in Oklahoma City is one of the best events in sports. The passion, energy, and excitement will be palpable as the stars of college softball take the field in the Women's College World Series. To get to know the teams better, here's a look at the best players on all eight teams in the Women's College World Series. More: Re-ranking the 8 teams to make the Women's College World Series Oklahoma Sooners Kasidi Pickering, OF: .413 batting average, 18 home runs, 14 doubles, 56 RBIs, .557 on-base percentage. Gabbie Garcia, SS: .360 batting average, 20 home runs, 9 doubles, 58 RBIs, .420 on-base percentage. Ella Parker, UT: .416 batting average, 13 home runs, 19 doubles, 49 RBIs, .520 on-base percentage. Sam Landry, P: 23-4, 1.92 ERA, 170 strikeouts, .198 opponents batting average. Oklahoma advanced to the Women's College World Series by beating Boston and Cal (twice) in the Norman Regional and then sweeping Alabama in the super regional. They've outscored their opponents 47-5 in the NCAA Tournament. Florida Gators Kendra Falby, OF: .433 batting average, 2 home runs, 9 doubles, 34 RBIs, .502 on-base percentage. Taylor Shumaker, OF: .389 batting average, 22 home runs, 17 doubles, 86 RBIs, .490 on-base percentage. Reagan Walsh, INF: .348 batting average, 14 home runs, 6 doubles, 60 RBIs, .421 on-base percentage. Keagan Rothrock, P: 16-6, 3.21 ERA, 101 strikeouts, .241 opponents batting average. The Florida Gators closed the regular season with a series win over Oklahoma and are hoping to exact some revenge over the Sooners after last year's WCWS semifinals. Florida swept through the Gainesville regional but had to battle SEC foe Georgia in the super regional round. They've outscored opponents 42-11 in the NCAA Tournament. Texas Longhorns Reese Atwood, C: .416 batting average, 21 home runs, 12 doubles, 85 RBIs, .532 on-base percentage. Joley Mitchell, INF: .385 batting average, 14 home runs, 10 doubles, 60 RBIs, .497 on-base percentage. Katie Stewart, C/INF: .370 batting average, 15 home runs, 13 doubles, 76 RBIs, .437 on-base percentage. Teagan Kavan, P: 24-5, 2.56 ERA, 212 strikeouts, .223 opponents batting average. The Texas Longhorns have the lineup to go toe-to-toe with anyone in the Women's College World Series. They battled a tough Clemson squad to game 2 and 3 wins in the super regional to advance. Tennessee Volunteers Taylor Pannell, OF: .384 batting average, 15 home runs, 11 doubles, 62 RBIs, .486 on-base percentage. Sophia Nugent, C: .302 batting average, 17 home runs, 9 doubles, 59 RBIs, .369 on-base percentage. Kinsey Fiedler, OF: .341 batting average, 2 home runs, 9 doubles, 8 triples, 36 RBIs, .458 on-base percentage. Karlyn Pickens, P: 24-9, 1.00 ERA, 280 strikeouts, .168 opponents batting average The Tennessee Volunteers had to win two elimination games against the Nebraska Cornhuskers. They did so on the arm of Karlyn Pickens, who threw two complete games, including a two-hit shutout in the decider to beat Jordy Bahl and the Cornhuskers. UCLA Bruins Jordan Woolery, INF: .415 batting average, 23 home runs, 16 doubles, 86 RBIs, .504 on-base percentage. Megan Grant, UT: .384 batting average, 25 home runs, 12 doubles, 79 RBIs, .540 on-base percentage. Savannah Pola, UT: .440 batting average, 9 home runs, 20 doubles, 48 RBIs, .488 on-base percentage. Kaitlyn Terry, P: 19-5, 2.62 ERA, 159 strikeouts, .210 opponents batting average. UCLA's offense is capable of putting up huge numbers at the plate. In the Los Angeles Regional, they outscored opponents 31-2 in their three-game sweep. The Bruins dropped game one of their super regional matchup with South Carolina and rallied in the seventh inning of game two to stave off elimination before a 5-0 win in game three. Texas Tech Red Raiders NiJaree Canady, P: 30-5, 0.89 ERA, 279 strikeouts, .153 opponents batting average. .312 batting average, 11 home runs, 5 doubles, 34 RBIs, .454 on-base percentage. Mihiya Davis, OF: 386 batting average, 5 home runs, 10 doubles, 26 RBIs, .410 on-base percentage. Lauren Allred, INF: .365 batting average, 9 home runs, 10 doubles, 53 RBIs, .454 on-base percentage. Alexa Langeliers, INF: .333 batting average, 8 home runs, 6 doubles, 40 RBIs, .432 on-base percentage. The Red Raiders haven't lost a game in the NCAA Tournament and are led by one of the top three players in all of college softball, NiJaree Canady. She's thrown 24 innings in five games, only running into trouble against Mississippi State in the Lubbock regional final. Oregon Ducks Rylee McCoy, INF: .399 batting average, 19 home runs, 12 doubles, 58 RBIs, .478 on-base percentage. Kedre Luschar, OF: .444 batting average, 7 home runs, 17 doubles, 61 RBIs, .487 on-base percentage. Stefini Ma'ake, UT: .314 batting average, 14 home runs, 8 doubles, 54 RBIs, .374 on-base percentage. Lyndsey Grein, P: 29-2, 2.08 ERA, 222 strikeouts, .182 opponents batting average. The Oregon Ducks are one of the more balanced teams remaining in the tournament. They're the only team left in the field that's top 10 in team batting average and team ERA. Ole Miss Rebels Lexie Brady, UT: .340 batting average, 17 home runs, 10 doubles, 50 RBIs, .477 on-base percentage. Persy Llamas, UT: .355 batting average, 10 home runs, 10 doubles, 53 RBIs, .430 on-base percentage. Aaliyah Binford, INF, P: .328 batting average, 12 home runs, 14 doubles, 55 RBIs, .375 on-base percentage. 11-3, 3.51 ERA, 80 strikeouts, .271 opponents batting average. Ole Miss had to go on the road to beat Arizona in the regional round and then won two of three in Fayetteville to upset the Arkansas Razorbacks. They have an offense that can hang in the Women's College World Series, but they'll need to find some consistency in their pitching. Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow John on X @john9williams.
American Press
08-05-2025
- Sport
- American Press
Jim Gazzolo column: Managing with a deft hand
James Landreneau has won his share of battles to reach 300 victories. (Kirk Meche/Special to the American Press) When last season ended, James Landreneau said he wasn't sure what to expect. Shocked with a pair of losses in the Southland Conference softball tournament, Landreneau's Cowgirls didn't even make it to the title game. McNeese State's run of NCAA Tournament appearances was over at three. More than that, Landreneau's club was losing much of the talent that had taken it to within an out of a super regional the year before. A surprise decision not to play by the team's leading home run hitter in the fall proved another speed bump. Another setback was an injury to last season's Freshman of the Year, Moss Bluff's Alexis Dibbley. For the first time since the turn of the century, McNeese softball had more questions than answers as midseason approached. 'I wasn't sure how good we would be,' Landreneau said. 'I know we had talent, but I also knew we were young. You never know how young players react under pressure.' Landreneau found out the hard way as McNeese struggled early. Twenty-seven games into the season, the Cowgirls stood at 14-13. 'I knew I was going to have to be patient with this group, and that isn't easy for me,' he admitted. McNeese lost is first SLC series as Lamar took two of three. 'We weren't playing good softball for a long time,' Landreneau said. 'We had to mature as a team.' His patience paid off when games mattered most. After a run-rule loss to open a crucial series at Southeastern Louisiana, McNeese found itself three games out of first place behind the Lions. While Landreneau might have been ready to trash the locker room in rage, he instead saw his players take over and convene a meeting in the outfield after the loss. What followed was a completely different club. McNeese won the second game that day and took the series 24 hours later, reducing the SELA lead back to one game. Since then, the Cowgirls have won 17 of 18, losing only to nationally LSU in Baton Rouge. 'We just came together and said this is not how we want to go out,' senior shortstop Reese Reyna said. 'It was time for the players to speak up. Nothing coach could have said would have been different. He got us here; it was up to us to finish.' Led by two freshmen pitchers and six new players on the field, the Cowgirls did what they had done for the previous three years: win the SLC regular-season championship. They also won three consecutive games in the postseason by way of walk-off to advance to the title series against the very same Southeastern team. The one difference is that this series will be played at home. The three walk-offs have come in three quite different ways. First, an actual walk forced in the winning run. Then, a single up the middle and finally, a two-run homer. However, it's how Landreneau, who won his fourth league Coach of the Year award, maneuvered this group through a most impressive and really tough start. In doing so, he got his team to 40 wins for a fourth consecutive year, something nobody would have seen coming six weeks ago. 'What I'm most proud of is how these players took control of the team,' Landreneau said. 'It's always better when the players take the leadership role and that's what this team has done.' And while the season may be far from over, it's likely Landreneau's personal best with the Cowgirls. 'I don't know about that, but I do like who we have grown and become a team,' he said. 'You have to credit the players and what they have done.' And they don't believe they are finished. a Jim Gazzolo is a freelance writer who covers McNeese State athletics for the American Press. Email him at jimgazzolo@
