Jordyn Bahl, Nijaree Canady among Players to Watch in the NCAA soft ball tournament

Oklahoma City (AP) – Here are five players watching in the NCAA soft tournament, in alphabetical order: Bahl was the most outstanding player of the Women’s College World Series in 2023 and led Oklahoma to a national title. She transferred to Nebraska before the past season, but was injured and missed most of 2024. This season she has a record of 23-6 with a 1.57 era and 254 strike in 174 1/3 overs. She did not bat at Oklahoma, but she leads the Huskers with a batting average of .458, 19 homers and 59 RBIs. Nebraska plays UConn in the Baton Rouge region on Friday. Canady, last year’s USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year in Stanford, dominated at Texas Tech. She led the Red Raiders to the Big 12 Championships for regular season and conference tournament. Canady has a record of 26-5 with a prominent 0.81 era. She took 263 strike in 181 overs. Like Bahl, she was not in the batting setting at her last stop, but she adapted well to double roles. Canady has an average of .309 with eight homers and 30 RBIs. Texas Tech is the number 12 overall seed and plays in the Lubbock region on Friday. Ellis bats .475 with 26 homers and 72 RBIs. She leads the country in the base percentage (.649) and slow (1.189). She is nationally in home runs and hikes, fourth in the batting average and seventh place in RBIs. She went to Arkansas to the no. 4 seed in one of his best seasons ever led. She has 58 hikes and has only beaten 13 times. The Razorbacks play Saint Louis in the Fayetteville region on Friday. McMillan has a prominent 30 homers to go with 61 RBIs for a Virginia Tech team that is a threat to get a dismay in the Tuscaloosa region. She has a batting average of .452, has run 41 times and leads the team with 14 stolen bases. McMillan was the number 4 choice in the AUSL concept. The Hokies play Belmont on Friday. Pickens got the softball world’s attention when one of her stands was clocked at 78.2 mph in March – the fastest ever recorded for a university jar. She is also accurate-she has a 20-8 record and a 0.92 era with 231 strike in 174 1/3 overs. Her era is third in third place. The volunteers of the seventh sown volunteers open on Friday with Miami (Ohio) in the Knoxville region.