Softball Season Is Once Again Upon Us Number 9

With a little more than iii weeks remaining until the get-go assurance and strikes are chosen, information technology'due south time to get serious about the 2022 season. Nosotros've toured the country in autumn reports and highlighted the freshmen ready to touch on the flavor. The D1Softball Top 25, briefing-by-conference previews, preseason accolades and much more are on deck. But before nosotros become into the nitty gritty, D1Softball'due south Graham Hays, Tara Henry, Rhiannon Potkey and Brady Vernon share some of the players, teams and storylines they accept their center on this flavour.

one. What headline is on your mind as the flavor begins?

Jocelyn Alo chases the dwelling house run record. It's not a matter of if Alo volition intermission Lauren Chamberlain's seven-year-quondam career record but when the reigning Thespian of the Year will take the top spot in the record books. With 88 habitation runs, Alo is vii shy of Chamberlain's record — with Stacey Nuveman, Jessie Harper and Katiyana Mauga to pass forth the mode. Just there is some suspense when it comes to timing. If Alo tin break Chamberlain's record within 15 games (and she hitting 12 home runs in her first 15 appearances a season ago) she will own the record while playing fewer games than her predecessor. And Chamberlain got her 95 in fewer games (220) than anyone else with at least 75 home runs. There volition be a tendency for some to shrug at the tape and chalk it up to actress eligibility or overall offensive aggrandizement in the sport. But Alo will earn her tape without an asterisk. She's striking more than home runs at a faster rate than almost anyone who ever played. And nosotros won't need to say about anyone for long. - GH

Who will be the strongest conference this twelvemonth? The SEC always has the depth top to bottom just how many teams do we feel confident in reaching the Women's College World Series? The Pac-12 lost a lot of talent from concluding flavour. The ACC seems similar it'due south knocking on the door of elite status. The Large 12 could have three of the best teams in the nation, but volition any other team scare anyone? – BV

Speaking of the strongest briefing, how will the Big Ten fare after a twelvemonth of conference-simply play? Michigan, Northwestern, and Minnesota all received bids to the tournament just a flavor ago. The pick committee did not award the conference with a single national seed. With a unmarried WCWS title back in 2005, does the B1G have what it takes to get back to Oklahoma City? – Th

The continued rise of the ACC. Knuckles and Clemson starting programs and making firsthand waves has hugely bolstered the conference depth and fabricated the ACC a much more legit threat in the national motion picture. Florida State remains the model programme, but the Seminoles didn't win the regular-season or tournament titles last season and still avant-garde to the last of the WCWS. The race in the ACC should exist just as enticing this flavor, and the briefing will return to a more than normal format equally opposed to the Covid-required four-game series of last season. – RP

MORE PREVIEWS: 2022 college softball preview and predictions with D1Softball's Tara Henry

2. Which team is best positioned to be this season's James Madison?

Liberty. Dot Richardson's team played well confronting James Madison when the two teams faced in regionals final twelvemonth. Liberty will be led by a veteran pitching staff in Emily Kirby and Karlie Keeney. In that location's a lot of potential in the lineup as well. – BV

South Dakota State: The Pinnacle League champions are coming off a 43-viii flavour in which they reached the NCAA tournament and ranked ninth in the nation in slugging percentage and 14th in ERA. That would be the top of an era for nigh mid-majors, but the Jackrabbits are only getting started. This squad returns all ix batters who compiled at to the lowest degree 20 total bases a season ago and adds freshmen strength. They as well return third-year sophomore Grace Glanzer and second-yr sophomore Tori Kniesche, co-aces who went forty-7 in 303 innings in 2021. – GH

BYU: If the Cougars can stay healthy, they have all the components to make a run. Fifth-year senior ace Autumn Moffat-Korth returns and outfielder Violet Zavodnik is coming off a potent freshman season. The Cougars will have fifty-fifty more motivation to bear witness they are worthy of the impending move to the Big 12. – RP

3. Which fifth-year (or beyond) senior are you happiest to meet play some other season?

Miranda Elish, Oklahoma State. Before the 2020 season was called off, nosotros just got a glimpse of how good Miranda Elish could be as a two-way player. Will she get dorsum to that level? Who knows, it'due south just nice to take a pinnacle-end player dorsum in the sport. – BV

Paige Rauch, Villanova. She'south the two-time reigning Big Eastward Actor of the Year (and probably would accept won the accolade in 2020, the way she started that shortened season). She also won Bullpen of the Year a season agone, the first Large E thespian to sweep both awards. Information technology feels similar there might still be a xx-win, 20-homer season in there somewhere, and that would exist a heck of an exclamation mark on a career I'one thousand glad we have an extra yr to appreciate. – GH

TOP PITCHERS: fifteen of the near talented arms to watch in 2022

Gabbie Plain, Washington. Can she lead UW back to the WCWS? The Aussie hurler returns to Seattle for another season. She won 32 games for the Huskies in 2021 and picked up Pac-12 Pitcher of the Year honors. As a U.s.a. Softball Collegiate Player of the Twelvemonth Height three Finalist nosotros are lucky to watch the principal a spin for yet another season.– Th

Alexis Holloway, Notre Dame. Every name already mentioned is not bad and there are twenty more I could list for dissimilar reasons, but I am going with Holloway considering her return means she gets to play 1 season with her little sis, Anna, a freshman infielder for the Irish gaelic. It'southward e'er special to share a field with a sibling, especially at the college level. – RP

4. Which freshman are yous most excited to come across have the field?

Washington's Kinsey Fiedler and Rylee Holtorf. We volition all miss watching Sister Bates wizardry in Seattle, but the future seems bright for the Huskies. These ii could be Washington's centre infield duo for the next four years. – BV

Annabelle Widra, Michigan. Pitcher? Middle infield? Middle of the order? All of the in a higher place? Fourth dimension will tell exactly where Widra fits for the Wolverines, but the recruit from the eye of SEC land just gives off the vibe of someone who is going to make her presence felt throughout her time in Ann Arbor. And if she earns her fashion into immediate innings aslope Alex Storako and Meghan Beaubien, look out. - GH

Jordyn Bahl, Oklahoma. If Patty Gasso says "She is quite different from any freshman I've e'er seen," that warrants the states all to pay attention. With the loss of Thousand Juarez and Shannon Saile, will the rookie arm exist able to pace in alongside Nicole May to make some other championship run? Bahl has the chops and the Sooner (home) run back up. – Thursday

Sentry: Oklahoma'south 2021 WCWS title, as seen from field level

Reagan Walsh, Florida. Head coach Tim Walton said he hasn't had a player that'south been such a perfect for his system in a long time. That is pretty noteworthy. Walsh will be the starting shortstop for the Gators. She'll exist surrounded by talent so the pressure won't be immense, but it volition be fun to watch how she develops. – RP

5. Which program is under the most pressure this season?

Texas. Not only did the Longhorns watch their rival Oklahoma win another national championship, Texas failed to reach the Women'southward College World Series later on beingness eliminated by Oklahoma State last season. Now, the Sooners are prepared to run information technology back, and Texas will have to face its former friend in Miranda Elish with the Cowgirls. It's probably not fair to Mike White to say Texas needs to make it to Oklahoma City this flavor equally the Longhorns likely would've made it in 2020, but there should be large expectations in Austin. – BV

Texas A&M. If it isn't one of the big programs in Texas under the near pressure level, it might exist the other. Jo Evans is a softball establishment and an indelible office of the story of the sport (she even played in the longest game in NCAA history, for goodness sake). But the higher softball globe she helped build has become one in which expectations reign supreme — specially in the SEC. The Aggies haven't missed an NCAA tournament since 2001, only they are also i-4 in their past two regional appearances and are 15-36 in the SEC since the start of 2019. More than of that would get people grumbling, fifty-fifty if they're grumbling about a legend. – GH

North Carolina. There is no reason to panic in Chapel Loma, just the Tar Heels finished in 10th place final season and the ACC depth has greatly increased from the past. Information technology will be much harder to be at the tiptop of the standings and earn NCAA berths. UNC missed the NCAA tournament last season for the 2nd fourth dimension in the final iii seasons it was contested. Brittany Pickett graduated and UNC will need to fill the void she leaves in the circle this season. – RP

denniswaying.blogspot.com

Source: https://www.ncaa.com/news/softball/article/2022-01-19/d1softball-breaks-down-what-expect-2022-softball-season