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What we learned from week one of the softball season

February 12, 2025
The NCAA softball landscape has long been dominated by the same teams, with Oklahoma winning the last four titles and just 13 different squads claiming trophies since 1982. But if Week 1 is any indication, we just might be seeing an increase in parity. Here’s who’s knocking it out of the park with the first few games done and dusted.
CollegeSoftball
What we learned from week one of the softball seasonWhat we learned from week one of the softball season
Source: Texas Tech Softball/X

The GIST: The NCAA softball landscape has long been dominated by the same teams, with Oklahoma winning the last four titles and just 13 different squads claiming trophies since 1982.

  • But if Week 1 is any indication, we just might be seeing an increase in parity. Here’s who’s knocking it out of the park with the first few games done and dusted.

Prepare for plenty of upsets this season: Underdogs ruled opening weekend, setting the tone for what’s to come. The unexpected results included then–No. 24 Mississippi State shutting out junior Jordy Bahl and then–No. 16 Nebraska, Arizona State topping then-No. 21 Cal, and Georgia Southern defeating then-22 Michigan. Look out.

NiJaree Canady bringing it for Texas Tech: The 2024 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year sent shockwaves through the NCAA when she transferred from Stanford to the unestablished Red Raiders. But Canady is already dominating, with 40 strikeouts in four games and a .364 batting average to boot. A star at the dish and in the circle.

Four-time defending champs Oklahoma survive scares: That aforementioned parity extended to the seemingly untouchable No. 3 Sooners, who were surprisingly taken to extra innings twice in their opening weekend action. This season is about to be wild.

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