The Women’s College World Series begins Thursday in Oklahoma City with plenty of familiar stars and quite a few new faces.
Oklahoma is back in the WCWS for the ninth consecutive season with a mostly different cast than the group that brought the Sooners four consecutive titles.
One player regional fans and college softball faithful easily recognize is Nebraska pitcher Jordy Bahl, who won two WCWS titles at Oklahoma with a 29-1 record in two seasons before transferring to her home state prior to the 2024 season. Now recovered from a torn ACL that cost Bahl all of last season, she’s set to square off with the Sooners in a dramatic opening matchup of the 2025 WCWS. More than a dominant presence in the circle, Bahl became the first Husker to record at least 15 doubles and 15 home runs in the same season.
NiJaree Canady, who burst onto the scene in 2023 with her WCWS for Stanford, is back for a third consecutive season, this time at Texas Tech.
The Red Raiders are one of two teams – Ole Miss is the other – making their first WCWS appearances.
Here’s a look at 10 players to watch in the WCWS:
Aliyah Binford, Ole Miss
The Baylor transfer came up huge in the circle in the super regional finale, allowing just one run in 5 2/3 innings of relief vs. Arkansas. Binford is 11-3 with 80 strikeouts and a 3.58 ERA in 111 1/3 innings. She’s also hitting .328 with 12 home runs and 55 RBIs, making her a dangerous two-way threat.
NiJaree Canady, Texas Tech
No pitcher in the country has been as dominant as Canady this season. The junior is 30-5 with 279 strikeouts and a 0.89 ERA this season. She threw a pair of complete-game victories in the super regional against Florida State, allowing just one run to lift the Red Raiders into the WCWS in Gerry Glasco’s first season as coach there.
Kendra Falby, Florida
Falby leads the Gators with a .433 batting average and has stolen 36 bases on 40 attempts. She has scored 71 runs, third-most among WCWS participants. Falby has struck out just 13 times in 208 at-bats.
Teagan Kavan, Texas
The sophomore right hander is 24-5 with a 2.56 ERA and 212 strikeouts in 175 1/3 innings this season. Kavan threw a combined 14 1/3 innings in the Longhorns’ three-game super regional victory over Clemson.
Sam Landry, Oklahoma
The Louisiana transfer became the latest one-year pitcher to star for the Sooners. Landry is 23-4 with a 1.92 ERA and 170 strikeouts in 167 2/3 innings. She started all three games of Oklahoma’s regional sweep and then threw a complete-game shutout in the super regional opener vs. Alabama.
Kedre Luschar, Oregon
The senior outfielder leads the Ducks with a .444 batting average and 61 RBIs. She’s hit seven home runs and hasn’t been thrown out in 29 stolen-base tries.
Ella Parker, Oklahoma
The sophomore, the niece of Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, is hitting .416 with 13 home runs, 19 doubles and 49 RBIs. After a midseason slump, Parker has been hot, hitting safely in 15 of her last 17 games with seven home runs and 15 RBIs.
Karlyn Pickens, Tennessee
Pickens’ 1.03 ERA is second nationally behind only Texas Tech’s NiJaree Canady. The junior right-hander is 23-9 with 270 strikeouts and 21 complete games in 29 starts. She’s allowed just six home runs all season.
Taylor Shumaker, Florida
The freshman has been one of the best hitters in the country this season, hitting .389 with 22 home runs and 86 RBIs, tied for the most in Division I entering the WCWS. Shumaker has four home runs in the NCAA Tournament, going 7 for 14 with eight runs and 10 RBIs over the first two weekends of the tournament.
Jordan Woolery, UCLA
The junior infielder is hitting .415 with 23 home runs and 86 RBIs – tied for the Division I lead. She’s also scored 56 runs and has a 1.400 OPS.
–Field Level Media
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