I am a Haskell Indian Nations University graduate. 2 min read. 25. As you look around the game of softball, many great famous softball players come to mind. And with softball back in the Olympics in 2021, Abbott once again has the chance to flash her skills on the world's largest stage. Lisa Fernandez is a Puerto Rican American former collegiate 4-time First Team All-American, 3-time Olympian medal winner, right-handed hitting softball pitcher, and Third Baseman, current softball assistant coach at UCLA. 2019 key stats: 31-9, 1.27 ERA, 0.91 WHIP. The Sooners fell to No. Oklahomas fielding percentage is .990, which is tied with Stanford for second nationally this season. . But it is who she is chasing that could become one of the stories of the season. Last year, the teams fielding percentage was .977. "I don't know whether we're just going through a cycle or we're just not developing pitchers any longer, I have no idea, but I do know there is a different climate in today's game than there was even 10 years ago," said University of Arizona and former Team USA coach Mike Candrea this spring. "For me, I feel like I've just evolved as a pitcher this summer," Abbott said. Even in college softball, only four Division I players ever saved more than 11 games in a season. The NPF is naturally just an extension of the college game that provides its talent, and the evidence there is unmistakable. On the softball diamond, Monica Abbott is a living legend. "By the time she releases it, she's like already halfway to you," said Natasha Watley, now a foe with the top-seeded USSSA Pride but also a teammate in Japan's professional league and formerly with Team USA. Little League Softball is where most women, including the best softball players of today, all got their start. Kindra Hackbarth, OF, Arizona State 1 spot for one week. Williams burst on the scene in the Big Ten with a dominant debut season. My favorite sports teams are the Boston Red Sox, Washington Nationals, and Boston Celtics.Every piece of equipment reviewed on this blog is one that has been tested and thoroughly read about, to tell you everything you need to know. The Tigers return to Jane B. Moore Field this weekend, hosting Bowling Green, South Alabama and Tennessee Tech for the second annual Jane B. Moore Memorial Tournament. In addition, Alo was recently drafted number one overall by the Smash It Vipers, who play in the new Womens Professional Fastpitch league. She's still the Big 12 returning leader in on-base percentage. In addition, Osterman also wore 38 over her career. Even if not as dominant in the circle as she was in her sensational sophomore season with the Ducks, she made the most of an increasing offensive role with .928 OPS. Abbott might have an advantage with the Olympics in Tokyo this year. 14. I can not wait to see what the future holds for my little lefty! Morganne Flores, C, Washington Jennings returned to add to the Sooners lead in the top of the third inning. 2019 key stats: .416 BA, .457 OBP, .584 SLG. 2019 key stats: .348 BA, .452 OBP, .781 SLG. Jessica Mendoza Honorable Mentions FAQ Who are the top 6 best women's softball players of all time? 1, a loaded LPGA field and more to watch in golf this week, How to watch PGA Tour's Arnold Palmer Invitational on ESPN+, Disputed loan at center of Commanders probe, Everything you need to know about F1's 2023 season, F1 season preview: Who's hot and who's not, Breaking down the latest in 2024 football recruiting, from top commits to March visits, Oral history: When Barcelona, Real Madrid played four Clasicos in 18 days back in 2011, LIVE Transfer Talk: Gvardiol, Bellingham named Real Madrid's top transfer targets, Roundtable: Early takeaways from Kyrie Irving joining Luka Doncic in Dallas, NPF rivalry banks on success of top rookies, How softball great Kretschman stays ahead of game, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Depending on who you ask, there may be a few solid options as to who is the best softball player in the world. Rick Scherr Who are the top men's professional softball players of all time? But that came alongside the sheer star wattage emitted by Rachel Garcia and even Bubba Nickles. 1, pass Japan in WBSC Men's Softball World Rankings. And she did that while striking out less and walking more. Sunday was UCLAs first loss since the Sooners eliminated the Bruins from the 2022 Womens College World Series with a 15-0 drubbing in the tournaments semifinals. The College World Series Home Run Queen Jocelyn Alo rocks the number 78 for her Oklahoma Sooners National Championship and is possibly the best softball player to wear the 78. Abbott was born in Santa Cruz, CA, and grew up in Salinas, where she still lives when not traveling for softball. Jennie Finch Arizona Wildcats & Team USA, Cat Osterman Texas Longhorns & Team USA, Nicole Sis Bates AKA Sis Bates Washington Huskies, Sierra Romero Michigan Wolverines & Team USA, Jessica Mendoza- Stanford Cardinals & Team USA, Odicci Alexander James Madison University, 8 & 38 Cat Osterman (Texas Longhorns & Team USA). Helping the United States to a WBSC Under-19 world title last summer was a good start. The Pac-12 Pitcher of the Year the last . But after some bumps -- 30% of the earned runs she allowed came in a stretch of eight appearances from the SEC tournament through opening day in the Women's College World Series -- look at how she closed. 10. This is a day after regaining the top spot in the D1 Softball top 25 yesterday. All of it building toward the results on display this season. According to former Team USA teammate Jessica Mendoza, now an NBC commentator at the Tokyo Olympics (and a baseball analyst for ESPN), Abbott is "one of the hardest-throwing pitchers in the entire game." 2. After a 26-6 record and 1.22 ERA as a sophomore at Arizona State, she went 28-4 with a 1.39 ERA a season ago. 17. 2019 key stats: 21-6, 1.39 ERA, 0.95 WHIP. Pitching with my daughter is one of the best parts of my day. 1 UCLA Bruins on Sunday but utter annihilation. Finch is beautiful and one of the best softball players to play the game of softball. Her efforts at the plate helped extend Auburns win streak to 13 consecutive games as the Tigers knocked off UAB and swept their five-game slate at the Plainsman Invite. Lawrie struck out 1860 batters . 2023 Vox Media, LLC. Once high schoolers graduate, they move on to the next level of play, which includes playing at the college level with a chance to compete for College Championships, including the D1 National Championship. Only four players in the Pac-12 finished with more total bases, and only three players in the nation hit more home runs. We looked at some of the most famous softball players of all time and the best softball players of all time be sure that the list will continue to grow as the next wave of softball players build their softball resumes. League ages vary but many start with 8-9-10 age groups and run up to unlimited, including 16-18 years old. Hitters are stronger and better trained than ever before. "Lefties rule this world.". Kinzie Hansen and Rylie Boone were both retired in the top of the second inning to quickly register the first two outs, but then a home run derby broke out. 2019 key stats: .405 BA, .489 OBP, .762 SLG. They were called "The King and His Court.". Cat Osterman, USSSA Pride: As mentioned previously, these are the final few days of Osterman's storied career in the circle, one that first came to the attention of many fans when she was a lanky left-handed Texan good enough to train with the national team when barely out of high school, and who took a year's sabbatical at the University of Texas to win gold with Team USA in the 2004 Olympics. I see opportunities for other athletes, for the college girls coming in [to the league], for the college freshmen, for the 12-year-olds. Eleven Sooners recorded a hit, with all but one who made a plate appearance registering a base hit. The Sooners will host four games next Friday-Sunday, featuring a pair of matchups against Kentucky in the OU Tournament at Marita Hynes Field. Oklahomas absence atop the college softball world didnt last long. Samurai Japan enters the WBC sitting No. Stofflet . .841 SLG, Monday through Friday, host Pablo Torre brings you an inside look at the most interesting stories at ESPN, as told by the top reporters and insiders on the planet. Sunseri would probably make this list if all she did was hit and play the field. She allowed four earned runs in the regular season. OUs top four season fielding percentages have come over the past eight seasons: .986 (2018), .984 (2018), .983 (2016) and .982 (2021). One of those players who is well-deserving of the honor as one of the best softball players in 2022 is Jocelyn Alo. Well, that was worth the wait. The Sooners blasted six home runs, and Alex Storako was dominant in the circle on their way to a 14-0 run-rule win over UCLA. 2019 key stats: 16-4, 1.41 ERA, 0.84 WHIP. It was a stunning upset, with top-ranked Team USA fielding stars like pitcher Jennie Finch, shortstop Natasha Watley, and outfielder Jessica Mendoza in addition to Abbott and Osterman. 2019 key stats: .359 BA, .442 OBP, .712 SLG. Show more Show more Barry vs Finch Top. OU had six home runs against the Bruins, with two coming from Kinzie Hansen. Lack of diversity within collegiate sports leadership continues, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. A ball thrown 72 miles an hour at that distance leaves a batter with the same reaction time as a baseball player trying to hit a ball thrown 101 miles per hour. As a result, various leagues have been around, including the Womens Professional Fastpitch (WPF) league. What Are the Best Seats at a Baseball Game? 15. Ben Dackiw. As females make their way to high school, many high schools in the United States offer fastpitch softball allowing schools to compete against other schools in their area or district. Free shipping for many products! Richard Lapchick | Contributing Writer, ESPN.com, Ranking the 25 best NCAA softball players in 2020, College softball rankings: The top 25 teams in the NCAA this week, Previewing the 2023 college softball season: Players you need to watch, key storylines and WCWS predictions. She turned some of the gap power of her debut, when she tied the NCAA single-season record for doubles, into home run power in her second season. She handled 73% of Louisiana's innings in the circle, easily the greatest percentage of any pitcher on this list. The way that you have to mentally train to be able to take on that kind of lineup and that kind of day-in and day-out kind of failure and keep building upon that, it makes our pitching staff really strong as well.. . The distance between the pitching rubber and home plate in softball is 43 feet. That's bad news for the rest of the SEC. Seven of Elliss hits went for extra bases as she knocked three doubles and four home runs for a 1.786 slugging percentage. Fresh off helping her Oklahoma Sooners win back-to-back National Championships, it is easy to understand why Jocelyn Alo is one of the most famous softball players. She's off to a terrific start in 2022, hitting .464 with 3 home runs and 9 RBIs in 10 games. The three greatest pitchers of a generation -- with a long and tangled history -- will reconvene when the United States and Japan play . The hitter -- maybe the best hitter in the history of college softball -- touched the bases, crossed home plate and threw up the shaka to her family in the stands, and still the pitcher stood with . Abbott was the youngest player on the 2008 silver medal-winning team at the Beijing Olympics, just 23 years old at the time. Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading. WBSC Softball World Rankings: Argentina, USA close 2022 on top of men's & women's rankings. Not that college softball is left without any star power. Watley put together a fantastic college career, including finishing her career to have at least a .400 batting average with at least 200 runs scored, 100 stolen bases, and 300 total hits. But there isn't a lack of proven greatness in Tallahassee, not as long as Sherrill anchors the lineup. She's the second oldest of five siblings. Abbott turns back the hands of that clock, which might be her most impressive manipulation of numbers. Also provides a more comfortable option for . Required fields are marked *. What this season shows is the difference between someone wanting to be better than everyone else, which it could be argued she already was, and wanting to find her best. Plus she was at her best when it mattered, going 13-for-28 with four home runs and 14 RBIs in Alabama's final 10 games -- against Arizona, Arizona State, Florida, Oklahoma and Texas. Abbott became a bona fide star when she pitched for Tennessee from 2004 to 2007, throwing an incredible 23 no-hitters and six perfect games during her time as a Vol. Sydney Sherrill, IF, Florida State Alo finishes her college career as the All-Time home run leader with 122 home runs. The power alone would get her in the top 10, but providing those home runs while also playing a commendable shortstop is all the more impressive. The fastest recorded softball pitch is 77 mph (123.9 km/h), achieved by Monica Abbott (USA) on 16 June 2012 in a National Pro Fastpitch (NPF) game for the Chicago Bandits against the Carolina Diamonds in Kannapolis, North Carolina, USA. Carosone was selected USA Softball National Player of the Week in 2015. Although she played for the Longhorns in the fall, it will still be good for most of us to simply see Elish back on a softball field for the first time in a regular-season game after the horrific injury that ended her 2019 season. The pitcher has quite a bit of experience playing in Japan, having pitched professionally for the Toyota Motor Corporation in the Japan Softball League for 12 seasons. Gracie Goewey, sr., Bend (Oregon) Goewey is looking for another big year at the plate with 25 career home runs, including 15 last spring to go with a .485 batting average. Alos resume includes taking home two National Championships, being named as an All-American three different seasons, and being the Big 12 Player of the Year twice. The reigning Gatorade National Softball Player of the Year is ready . I love it for its little nuances, the strategy involved, the drama of a close game, late innings situation, and its deep history. Long overshadowed by Abbott and Osterman, just as the Racers are long overshadowed by the Bandits and Pride, she is capable of beating anyone on a given day. Coleman then followed her lead, turning the lineup back over with a solo shot of her own to put OU up 2-0. 3. Amazon.com : Mizuno GPE1200F1 Mizuno Prime Elite Pitcher Fastpitch Softball Glove 12", Left Hand Throw : Sports & Outdoors . She ranked sixth nationally in strikeout-to-walk ratio, right between Taran Alvelo and Rachel Garcia, and ninth in strikeouts per seven innings. That'd be good. 21. 24. Here are various levels of fastpitch softball players and organizations. Few pitchers can match that, and no one matches her in the strikeout department. Heres a by-the-numbers recap after a five-win journey through the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic. Abbott struck out 149 batters in the regular season, the total second only to the Osterman, and her rate of 11.5 strikeouts per seven innings was the best in the league. Its so awesome.. Storako was named the Big 12 pitcher of the week following her performance over UCLA, which held the No. Auburn softballs Bri Ellis earns national player of the week honor. 32 NFL players who could change teams this offseason. 1. She struck out nine batters in the five-inning, 8-0 win against the Netherlands, which was shortened from the usual seven innings due to the Olympic mercy rule. For comparison, a 72 mph pitch in softball is about the equivalent of a blistering 101 mph pitch in baseball. Every one of OUs first 10 hits came with no outs, as the lineup piled pressure on the UCLA pitching staff throughout. There was a problem saving your notification. Iowa transfer Lauren Shaw took over for the Bruins in the circle, but she faced the same fate as Faraimo. Sign up for your premium membership to AllSooners.com today, and get access to the entire Fan Nation premium network! She needed only 71 pitches to dispatch of the 18 batters faced, as Storako struck out five Bruins and allowed just three hits and no walks across five shutout innings. Playing against New Zealand and their star right-hander Kevin Herlihy, Ty says he pitched the best game of his life. "You look at her frame, and then you watch her wind up, and that's just a whole lot of length coming at you real close," Lappin said. Auburn gymnastics is back on the climb. Already the NPF's all-time wins leader, she recently recorded No. Seeing her smile when she throws a great change-up or hits her spot with her fastball makes me smile. Abbott stands 6-foot-3, which means that when such pitches leave her left hand, she is far closer than 43 feet. Over the Tigers' six wins last week, Ellis went 10-for-14 at the plate for a .714 batting average. Danielle Lawrie is certainly one of the best NCAA softball pitchers, and her career at Washington shows it. Alo put together the kind of run production as a sophomore that stacks up favorably with just about any season by any player in the country. Hopefully it just raises the bar of our sport.". Certainly the best value pick as a fourth-round selection in this past spring's draft, which took place before she starred in the Women's College World Series, Haeger has teamed with former Cal All-American and Team USA pitcher Jolene Henderson to give the expansion Charge far better pitching than has often been the fate of the league's new entries. 13. Even with Mariah Lopez now at Arizona, Oklahoma's remaining depth should keep Juarez from having to go much more than 200 innings. The teams ERA is 1.12 with 110 strikeouts over 81 innings pitched. All four of those runs came in the same game against the Akron Racers (she still struck out 10 and got the win). Alyssa Palomino-Cardoza, OF, Arizona Even with a 21-6 record and 1.39 ERA, Fouts didn't have to do it all for the Tide. Bates is as exciting to watch as any player in recent memory. Only a junior, Plain has already pitched nearly 35 innings in the Women's College World Series. 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