The top eight teams in college softball are heading to Oklahoma City this week to compete for a national championship in the Women’s College World Series (WCWS). There are multiple storylines to follow, from Oklahoma seeking its fifth consecutive national championship to Texas Tech playing in the WCWS for the first time.
Here are several Black softball standouts to follow during the Women’s College World Series, which begins Thursday. All game times are in Eastern (ET).
Texas Tech: NiJaree Canady, pitcher
Junior NiJaree Canady has led Texas Tech to its first Women’s College World Series appearance in program history.
Canady, who helped her former school, Stanford, advance to the WCWS twice (2023 and 2024), made history last summer after accepting a $1 million offer to play for Texas Tech, the highest-paid NIL deal in college softball. She currently ranks first in the country with a 0.89 ERA and sixth in strikeouts (279).
Though Canady, a finalist for USA Softball’s Collegiate Player of the Year award, is known for her pitching, she also has embraced a hitting role for Texas Tech. She has a .312 batting average, 34 RBIs and a team-high 11 home runs. Texas Tech defeated Florida State in two games at the Tallahassee Super Regional last week to advance to the WCWS, and in Game 1, Canady threw a two-hit shutout and had a home run in Texas Tech’s first ever Super Regional win.
Texas Tech will face Mississippi at 7 p.m. Thursday on ESPN2.
Oklahoma: Ella Parker, designated hitter, and Cydney Sanders, first base
Sophomore Ella Parker, who was named to the 2025 All-SEC tournament team, is hitting .416 with a team-high 19 doubles this season.
After defeating Alabama 3-0 in Game 1 of the Tuscaloosa Super Regional last weekend, the Sooners recorded a run-rule win against the Crimson Tide in five innings (13-2) in Game 2, earning Oklahoma’s ninth consecutive WCWS appearance. Parker went 3-for-4 in the game with a home run, two doubles and three RBIs.
Alonzo Adams / Associated Press
Oklahoma has won four consecutive national championships, and senior Cydney Sanders was a part of the last two. The first baseman also was selected for the 2025 All-SEC tournament team, tallying three RBIs in the tournament before Oklahoma and Texas A&M were named co-champions after the championship game was canceled because of rain.
Oklahoma will play Tennessee at 2:30 p.m. Thursday on ESPN.
UCLA: Jordan Woolery, third base
Jordan Woolery, the 2023 PAC-12 Freshman of the Year, has continued to excel throughout her career as a Bruin. The junior ranks second on the team this season in batting average (.415) and home runs (23), and she leads the Bruins in RBIs (86) and total bases (173). Woolery, who was named to this year’s All-Big Ten first team, was a top 10 finalist for USA Softball’s Collegiate Player of the Year award this season.
Woolery produced four RBIs over the weekend during UCLA’s three-game series against South Carolina in the Columbia Super Regional. In Game 2, she hit a walk-off, two-run home run with two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning to secure UCLA’s 5-4 comeback victory and force a Game 3, which the Bruins won 5-0.
UCLA will play Oregon at 9:30 p.m. Thursday on ESPN2.
Texas: Mia Scott, third base
Mia Scott continues to propel the Longhorns’ offense. The senior leads her team in batting average, hitting .438. She has a team-high 18 doubles this season and plays strong defense to match. Scott, who has a .960 fielding percentage, has made only five errors this season.
The All-SEC first-team selection was a member of the Texas team that lost to Oklahoma in last year’s WCWS championship. Scott, who was named to the 2024 WCWS All-Tournament Team, is looking to win a national championship in her final season.
Stephen Spillman / Associated Press
Texas defeated Clemson in a three-game series during last weekend’s Austin Super Regional to advance to the WCWS, with Scott going 5-for-13 at the plate.
Texas will face Florida at noon Thursday on ESPN.
Ole Miss: Aliyah Binford, pitcher, and Jaden Pone, outfield
Seniors Aliyah Binford and Jaden Pone played key roles in helping Ole Miss clinch its first WCWS appearance.
Binford is hitting .328 with a team-leading 55 RBIs. With 80 strikeouts this season, she also has been important in the relief role; last weekend, Binford pitched during the second inning of Game 3 of the Arkansas Super Regional, allowing two hits and one earned run while striking out four to secure Ole Miss’ spot in the WCWS with a 7-4 win over Arkansas.
Rick Scuteri / Associated Press
Pone leads the team in hitting with a .363 batting average, and she has a team-high 17 stolen bases, making her extremely effective in the leadoff spot in Ole Miss’ lineup. She earned All-SEC first-team honors, becoming only the second player in program history to do so.
Ole Miss will face Texas Tech at 7 p.m. Thursday on ESPN2.
Oregon: Dezianna Patmon, outfield
Senior Dezianna Patmon, who started her career in 2022 at North Carolina A&T and later transferred to New Mexico State for the 2024 season, will finish her career with Oregon in Oklahoma City.
Mark Von Holden / Associated Press
Five days after Patmon hit a walk-off home run against Stanford to advance Oregon to the Eugene Super Regional, she was clutch again. Oregon opened the Super Regional series against Liberty last week with another walk-off win off Patmon’s bat, and Oregon’s 13-1 victory in Game 2 sent the Ducks to the WCWS for the first time since 2018.
Oregon will face UCLA at 9:30 p.m. Thursday on ESPN2.
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By: Cayla Sweazie
Title: Women’s College World Series: These Black softball standouts are players to watch
Sourced From: andscape.com/features/womens-college-world-series-these-black-softball-standouts-are-players-to-watch/
Published Date: Thu, 29 May 2025 14:48:35 +0000
