2025 half -season university softball questions, WCWS predictions

March 27, 2025, 08:00 am et

The first half of the 2025 university softball season has already provided many superlatives.

The SEC has played at a high level this year with the 15 teams that make at least one appearance in our weekly Top 25 survey. The Big Ten has come alive with Ohio State (71) and Nebraska (63) leading the nation in homers. And in Cirlce, the Ace de Texas Tech Nijaree Canady has been up to the exaggeration so far, and Jordy Bahl of Nebraska is playing at the top of his game.

There are many other interesting stories, for what we did to our experts six great questions in the mid -season brand. What teams have more to demonstrate? Who are the main candidates for the player of the year? They also choose the best teams, they slept and crowned things with their selections of the World University Series of 2025.

Jump to:
The best teams | Most to try | Poy selections
Trends/stories | Sleeping equipment | WCWS predictions

What team has impressed you more in the first half of the season?

Jenny Dalton-Hill: Florida state. This is a team that seems to have little characteristic losses at the beginning of the season most of the years, but coach Lonni Alameda is not someone to press the panic button. The seminols began this season with a defeat against the state of Oklahoma and lost twice against Texas A&M and Oregon, but this group can scrubs in clusters with 15 victories in the race rule in 2025. The last success game was in Durham against the rival of Accu Duke.

Michele Smith: LSU. This talented team has the opportunity to hit its ticket to the WCWS for the first time since 2017. The Tigers are hitting the ball better than in years, its average batting of .369 occupies the fifth place in the nation, and have a great experience in the circle. It is interesting because they lost a lot of leadership and experience in the last two years, but this is a talented team that is making a statement at the beginning of the season.

Madison Shipman: Mississippi status. I chose the same team at this time last season, but I feel the same this year! I feel that during the last seasons, we have seen the Bulldogs continue to improve and improve. The team is offensively directed by Sierra Sacco and Nadia Barbary who are having great seasons so far. The state of Mississippi has six different players with 20 or more races driven in the middle of the season. And in the circle, Raelin Chaffin has increased as the AS.

Amanda Scarborough: South Carolina. I love the way this team fights. The Gamecocks were chosen to finish the last in the SEC this year. And although it is still early in the conference game, I don't think that happens. They play as if they had something to demonstrate each game. This team does not give up and has the talent in the circle and on the dish to support that.

What team has more to demonstrate as the season progresses?

Dalton-Hill: This feels like a charged question because everyone still has something to demonstrate. There is a lot of season, so the objective of each team is to develop consistency, grip and tenacity to make a deep race that ends with a national championship. That said, Auburn had a new co-head coach, Kate and Chris Malveaux again, but since then he has lost 10 of his last 11 games and has no victories in the SEC game. The road to OKC does not become easier since the tigers still have four sec series to play against the 25 best teams.

Blacksmith: Texas Tech and Nebraska. Both teams have star pitchers that have been transferred, nijaree Canady of Texas Tech and Jordy Bahl de Nebraska, which most assumed that it would take them to the WCWS. But this is a team sport, so these teams have to show that they are ready to compete day after day. The Raiders and Cornhuskers Network must show that they can defend the ball behind their kar launchers and put races on the board.

Shipman: Tennessee. The Lady Vols won SEC championships of the consecutive regular season in 2023 and 2024, but last season did not end the way they expected after losing to Alabama in the Super Regional. They are determined to return to the WCWS with Karlyn Pickens leading the way in the circle.

Karlyn Pickens de Tennessee launches the fastest launch in the Histor of the NCAA

Tennessee launcher, Karlyn Pickens, triggers a 78.2 mph attack for the fastest launch in the history of university softball.

Scarborough: Oklahoma. Even after winning four national championships in a row, if it were in the team, I would like to show that we could win despite graduating the best senior class to play the game. The Sooners have such a young team with many new faces, but the expectation of winning Natty is still the same. That championship mentality is what made them exceptional in the last four seasons and created a lasting legacy. Oklahoma must still continue raising the bar, establish the standard and demonstrate that everyone is wrong (and themselves).

Who is your player selection of the year from now on and why?

Dalton-Hill: I hoped that Nebraska's pitcher, Jordy Bahl, returned from his strong ACL injury and is ready to compete, but has exceeded expectations not only in the circle but also on the plate. She has published an effectiveness of 1.69 in 91 entries released and is reaching a .473 team leader, with 11 homers. While there may be others that have unique statistics that are better, none is doing all the path that Bahl is at this time.

Blacksmith: I think that if the Nijaree Canady pitcher can stay healthy and help Texas Tech reach the WCWS, he will win the player's awards. She is also coming to Bahl this season, and I agree with Jenny in which batters are special if they can be elite on both sides of the ball. Canady hit more than .300 and has a tiny effectiveness of .64. However, he has not been hitting in March, so it may have been closed on the offensive side to stay healthy.

Shipman: Can I choose a pitcher and a player of the year? It's happening! My pitcher of the year so far is Canady. She is still dominant in the circle with 137 strikeouts this season. My player selection of the year is the Bria Ellis de Arkansas. He is hitting more than .500 with 17 leading homers of division 1 in the middle of the season!

Scarborough: Bahl for how it is standing out on both sides of the ball. At this time, Nebraska has no more classified opponents that are at its time, so Bahl has the opportunity to make its statistics already even better stellar. It has been fun to see her hit this season, an opportunity that was not provided in Oklahoma, and we can see what she is totally capable, since she shows that she is much more than a dominant pitcher.

What is the biggest story/trend to monitor the rest of the season?

Dalton-Hill: I am still seeing the realignment of the impact conference in power 4. The teams that were perennial powers in their respective conferences are now being challenged by the additions of the PAC-12 displaced teams. FSU will not know Stanford to the ACC. Northwestern faces UCLA in its last regular season series of the year. Oklahoma and Texas that are added to the SD make this conference even stronger. And Arizona sits at the top of the Big-12. There are so many unique and difficult confrontations that we are not used to seeing to come!

Around the diamond: another day of domain in the sec

The SEC Now Crew highlights impressive plays of softball while they continue to show why the SEC is still the most dominant diamond conference.

Shipman: I will monitor how the launch for the rest of the season is used. There are quite a few teams that use four, five or even six arms consistently in the circle. Once we approach the postseason, will we continue to see so many pitchers used or the teams will resort to a more traditional ace to take them through the section?

Scarborough: The availability of the launcher Keagan Rothrock for Florida. The last time he released was February 22; Will we see her again this season? Florida without her remains a very talented team that can score many races quickly, but do you have the staff to run in the National Championship without Rothrock?

What sleeping team (outside the 10 best current classifications) do you think you have the best opportunity to have a deep career in the WCWS?

Dalton-Hill: Stanford. Previous experience is an important factor to make a deep race in OKC, and the cardinal has made trips there the last two seasons. Okay, his list will not have the player of the year this time when Canady left Texas Tech, but this team only has three losses in the season. This is a group that I would not like to see in regional or super regional.

Scarborough: Virginia Tech. Emma Lemley seems to be throwing the best of her career and can overcome anyone in the country with her dirty ball. In addition, Virginia Tech historically has an offensive that can present races in clusters. After the success of the regular season 2024 of the Hokies, but below the WCWS, this is a team that finally wants to get there in the last season of Lemley in the circle.

Shipman: I am thinking the same as Amanda in this; Virginia Tech is the team to see. Lemley has been dominant in the circle with an effectiveness of 1.97, and the Hokies are offensively led by Cori McMillan and their 13 homers. The other impressive piece of his game is his defense. Hokies are currently third in the country with a .983 field percentage. This is a team that would not want to face in the postseason.