The first half of the 2025 college softball season has provided plenty of superlatives already.
The SEC has played at a high level this year with all 15 teams making at least one appearance in our weekly Top 25 poll. The Big Ten has come alive with Ohio State (71) and Nebraska (63) leading the nation in home runs. And in the cirlce, Texas Tech ace NiJaree Canady has lived up to the hype so far, and Nebraska’s Jordy Bahl is playing at the top of her game.
There are many other interesting storylines, so we asked our experts six big questions at the midseason mark. Which teams have the most to prove? Who are the top candidates for Player of the Year? They also pick top teams, sleepers and cap things off with their 2025 Women’s College World Series picks.
Jump to:
Top teams | Most to prove | POY picks
Trends/storylines | Sleeper teams | WCWS predictions
Which team has impressed you the most in the first half of the season?
Jenny Dalton-Hill: Florida State. This is a team that seems to have uncharacteristic losses early in the season most years, but coach Lonni Alameda is not someone to push the panic button. The Seminoles started this season with a loss to Oklahoma State and lost twice to both Texas A&M and Oregon, but this group can score in bunches with 15 run-rule wins in 2025. The latest hit parade was in Durham against ACC rival Duke.
Michele Smith: LSU. This talented team has the opportunity to punch their ticket to the WCWS for the first time since 2017. The Tigers are hitting the ball better than they have in years — their .369 batting average ranks fifth in the nation — and they have some great experience in the circle. It’s interesting because they lost a lot of senior leadership and experience the past couple years, but this is a talented team that is making a statement early on in the season.
Madison Shipman: Mississippi State. I picked the same team at this point last season, but I feel the same way this year! I feel like for the past few seasons, we’ve seen the Bulldogs continue to get better and better. The team is led offensively by Sierra Sacco and Nadia Barbary who are having great seasons so far. Mississippi State has six different players with 20 or more RBIs halfway through the season. And in the circle, Raelin Chaffin has stepped up as the ace.
Amanda Scarborough: South Carolina. I love the way this team fights. The Gamecocks were picked to finish last in the SEC this year. And although it’s still early in conference play, I just don’t think that’s going to happen. They play like they have something to prove every single game. This team doesn’t give up and has the talent in the circle and at the plate to back that up.
Which team has the most to prove as the season goes on?
Dalton-Hill: This feels like a loaded question because everyone still has something to prove. There is a lot of season left, so each team’s goal is to develop the consistency, grip and tenacity to make a deep run that ends with a national championship. That being said, Auburn got off to a hot start under new co-head coaches, Kate and Chris Malveaux, but has since lost 10 of its past 11 games and is winless in SEC play. The path to OKC doesn’t get any easier as the Tigers still have four SEC series to play against top 25 teams.
Smith: Texas Tech and Nebraska. Both teams have star pitchers that have transferred in — Texas Tech’s NiJaree Canady and Nebraska’s Jordy Bahl — that most assumed would take them all the way to the WCWS. But this is a team sport, so these teams have to prove that they are ready to compete day in and day out. The Red Raiders and Cornhuskers need to show that they can defend the ball behind their ace pitchers and put runs on the board.
Shipman: Tennessee. The Lady Vols won back-to-back regular season SEC championships in 2023 and 2024, but last season did not end the way they hoped after losing to Alabama in the Super Regionals. They are determined to make it back to the WCWS with Karlyn Pickens leading the way in the circle.
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Tennessee’s Karlyn Pickens throws fastest pitch in NCAA softball history
Tennessee pitcher Karlyn Pickens fires a 78.2 mph strike for the fastest-recorded pitch in college softball history.
Scarborough: Oklahoma. Even after winning four national championships in a row, if I were on the team I’d want to prove that we could win despite graduating the best senior class to ever play the game. The Sooners have such a young team with many new faces, but the expectation to win the natty remains the same. That championship mindset is what made them exceptional the past four seasons and created a lasting legacy. Oklahoma must still continue to raise the bar, set the standard and prove everyone wrong (and themselves right).
Who is your Player of the Year pick as of now and why?
Dalton-Hill: I expected Nebraska pitcher Jordy Bahl to come back from her ACL injury strong and be ready to compete, but she has exceeded expectations not just in the circle but also at the plate. She’s posted a 1.69 ERA in 91 innings pitched and is hitting a team-leading .473 — with 11 home runs. While there may be others that have single stats that are better, none are doing it all the way Bahl is at the moment.
Smith: I think if pitcher NiJaree Canady can stay healthy and help Texas Tech make it to the WCWS, she will win back-to-back Player of the Year awards. She is also hitting well like Bahl this season, and I agree with Jenny that hitting pitchers are special if they can be elite on both sides of the ball. Canady hit over .300 and has a minuscule .64 ERA. However, she has not been hitting in March, so she may have been shut down on the offensive side to stay healthy.
Shipman: Can I pick a pitcher and player of the year? It’s happening! My Pitcher of the Year so far is Canady. She continues to be dominant in the circle with 137 strikeouts this season. My Player of the Year pick is Arkansas’ Bri Ellis. She is batting over .500 with a Division 1-leading 17 homers halfway through the season!
Scarborough: Bahl because of how she is excelling on both sides of the ball. As of right now, Nebraska has no more ranked opponents left on its schedule, so Bahl has a chance to make her already stellar stats even better. It’s been fun to watch her hit for herself this season — an opportunity she wasn’t afforded at Oklahoma — and we are able to see what she is fully capable of as she proves she’s much more than just a dominant pitcher.
What is the biggest storyline/trend to watch over the rest of the season?
Dalton-Hill: I am still watching the impact conference realignment has on the Power 4. Teams that were perennial powers in their respective conferences are now being challenged by the additions of displaced Pac-12 teams. FSU won’t meet Stanford until the ACC tournament. Northwestern faces UCLA in its final regular season series of the year. Oklahoma and Texas being added to the SEC makes that conference even stronger. And Arizona sits at the top of the Big-12. There are so many unique and tough matchups that we aren’t used to seeing coming up!
2:05
Around the Diamond: Another day of dominance in the SEC
The SEC Now crew highlights impressive plays from softball as they continue to show why the SEC remains the most dominant conference in the diamond.
Shipman: I am going to be keeping my eye on how the pitching is used for the rest of the season. There are quite a few teams who use four, five or even six arms consistently in the circle. Once we get closer to the postseason, will we still continue to see so many pitchers being used, or will teams turn to more of a traditional ace to carry them down the stretch?
Scarborough: The availability of pitcher Keagan Rothrock for Florida. The last time she pitched was Feb. 22; will we see her again this season? Florida without her is still a very talented team that can score a lot of runs quickly, but do they have the staff to make a run at the national championship without Rothrock?
Which sleeper team (outside of the current top 10 rankings) do you think has the best chance to have a deep run in the WCWS?
Dalton-Hill: Stanford. Prior experience is a huge factor in making a deep run in OKC, and the Cardinal have made trips there the past two seasons. Granted their roster won’t have the Player of the Year on it this time as Canady departed to Texas Tech, but this team only has three losses on the season. This is a group I would not want to see in Regionals or Super Regionals.
Scarborough: Virginia Tech. Emma Lemley looks like she’s pitching the best in her career and can beat anyone in the country with her filthy riseball. Plus, Virginia Tech historically has an offense that can put up runs in bunches. After the Hokies’ 2024 regular season success but falling short of the WCWS, this is a team that wants to finally get there in Lemley’s last season in the circle.
Shipman: I am thinking the same as Amanda on this one; Virginia Tech is the team to watch. Lemley has been dominant in the circle with a 1.97 ERA, and the Hokies are led offensively by Cori McMillan and her 13 home runs. The other impressive piece of their game is their defense. The Hokies are currently third in the country with a .983 fielding percentage. This is a team that I would not want to face in the postseason.
Who will be the last four teams standing in the 2025 WCWS?
Dalton-Hill: Oklahoma, Texas, Florida and Florida State
Shipman: Texas, Oklahoma, Florida and LSU
Scarborough: UCLA, Texas, LSU and Arizona
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