We're a month away from the 2024 college softball season and we're already seeing plenty of stars emerge, amazing statistics, and interesting trends.
Numbers can reveal a lot. They tell us about strengths and which players bring the most value to their teams, and also point out areas of concern that may not be easily seen when watching the game. Of course, these statistics will fluctuate as the season progresses, but these numbers can tell a story about what we could see in the Women's College World Series.
As we close the chapter on Week 5 and set our sights on the updated Top 25 poll, here are the key numbers we need to know from the start of this college softball season.
The numbers are until March 11.
10: A month into the season, 10 Division I softball players have hit double-digit home runs, and five of them earned their place in the mix over the weekend.
Miami (OH)'s Jenna Golembiewski and Karli Spaid lead the nation with 14 each and are followed by McKayla Timmons with 13 (Ball State). Reese Atwood (Texas), Britain Beshears (Michigan State), Elon Butler (California), Taryn Jenkins (Nevada), Jayda Kearney (Georgia) and Brooklynn Maxwell (UNC Greensboro) round out the group with 10 home runs each.
9: Tiare Jennings needs nine extra-base hits to reach 146 for her career. If she reaches that total, she would pass Lauren Chamberlain for the second-most in Sooners history, trailing only Jocelyn Alo (173). Jennings also ranks second in career RBIs with 267, behind Alo's 323.
8: There have been eight different Division I players to hit at least three home runs in a game this season: Taryn Jenkins (Nevada), Trinity Schlotterbeck (FAU), Cami Compson (Pitt), Laura Mealer (Tennessee), Lindsey Richardson (Jacksonville State ). ), Sophia Knock (Longwood), Aly Kaneshiro (Stanford) and Kassidy Moore (Mercer).
7: Duke hasn't allowed a run in seven games. The season began with Florida State as a heavy favorite to win the ACC, but Duke has since taken over the conference spotlight.
6: LSU has six hitters (with a minimum of 40 at-bats) hitting over .300. Daniela Coffey leads the pack (.404), followed by McKenzie Redoutey (.393), Ali Newland (.391), Raeleen Gutierrez (.375), Taylor Pleasants (.349) and Ciara Briggs (.324).
5: Nebraska, Northwestern, Louisiana, Utah and Oregon are the five teams that have fallen out of the top 25 after being ranked there in the preseason.
4: Florida, Duke, Oklahoma and Tennessee are the four programs that have double-digit shutout wins. The Gators lead the nation with 15.
3: In Oklahoma's loss to Louisiana, the Sooners committed a season-low three errors. That was their first game with three errors since June 8, 2021 (WCWS Championship Series Game 1 vs. Florida State). The Sooners haven't made a mistake since.
2.32: Stanford's pitching staff has a 2.32 ERA in 78⅓ innings pitched, excluding NiJaree Canady. With Canady, they have the ninth-best record, a 1.43 ERA, and she contributed 73 innings. Bottom line: Canada means a lot to Stanford staff.
1: Georgia Tech is one home run away from surpassing its 2023 home run total. Mallorie Black, Madison Dobbins and Sara Beth lead the team with nine each.
Marquee games and series to watch.
No. 15 Alabama vs. No. 18 Florida State
7 pm ET, March 13, ACCN
Can the Seminoles get back on track? Can Alabama keep the momentum going after shutting out Florida on Monday night? Although FSU has struggled to maintain its 2023 dominance so far this season, it has a 10-1 record at home. You'd think that would be enough to give the Seminoles optimism. But as good as the former Soviet Union is at home, Alabama is even better on the road. The Crimson Tide boasts a 10-0 record when not playing in Tuscaloosa. This will be a battle.
North Carolina vs. No. 14 Clemson
March 15-17, ACCNX
One of the biggest surprises this season has been watching the Tar Heels, who were previously 26-28, transform into a program that is currently 19-4. North Carolina's bats are led by Sanaa Thompson and Alex Coleman, who rank first and second nationally in batting average. Clemson will keep this matchup competitive as it has a .485 slugging percentage and a .299 batting average.
No. 17 Texas A&M vs. No. 21 Mississippi State
March 15-17, SECN+
The Aggies' pitching staff appears to continue to struggle against SEC opponents: Texas A&M enters the series 3-0 in conference play. Emiley Kennedy has emerged as a leader, appearing in all three games of the South Carolina series and striking out 15 batters in 13 innings. But can the Aggies' defense hold up against Mississippi State's offense? The Bulldogs have one of the highest scoring offenses in the country with 163 runs on the season.
