Skip to main content
Here's my annual list of top teams' senior losses from this year's squad and top returnees for next year...

WORLD SERIES TEAMS

ARIZONA STATE

Seniors: Katie Burkhart (P), Mindy Cowles (IF), Rhiannon Baca (SS), Jackie Vasquez (OF)

Key returnees:Kaitlin Cochran (OF, Jr.), Krista Donnenwirth (SS-3B, Fr.) (year of school shown is from past season)

TEXAS A&M

Seniors: Megan Gibson (P), Amanda Scarborough (P), Jami Lobpries (IF-OF), Jamie Hinshaw (3B)

Key returnees: Erin Glasco (C, Jr.), Kelsey Spittler (OF, Fr.), Natalie Villarreal (IF, Fr.), Alex Reynolds (DP-1B, So.), Holly Ridley (RF, Jr.)

FLORIDA

Seniors: Mary Ratliff (OF)

Key returnees: Kim Waleszonia (UT, Jr.), Stacey Nelson (P, Jr.), Francesca Enea (C, So.), Ali Gardiner (1B, Jr.), Aja Paculba (2B, Fr.)

ALABAMA

Seniors: Jordan Praytor (UT), Chrissy Owens (P), Dani Woods (IF)

Key returnees: Kelsi Dunne (P, Fr.), Brittany Rogers (OF, Jr.), Kelley Montalvo (UT, Jr.), Lauren Parker (IF, Jr.), Charlotte Morgan (P-UT, So.)

UCLA

Seniors: Anjelica Selden (P), Ashley Herrera (IF), Krista Colburn (OF)

Key returnees: Megan Langenfeld (P-1B, So.), GiOnna DiSalvatore (IF, Fr.), Donna Kerr (P, Fr.), Monica Harrison (SS, Fr.), Amanda Kamekona (IF, Jr.)

LOUISIANA-LAFAYETTE

Seniors: Holly Tankersley (DP-OF), Vanessa Soto (2B)

Key returnees: Ashley Brignac (P, Fr.)

ARIZONA

Seniors: Taryne Mowatt (P), Callista Balko (C), Adrienne Acton (OF)

Key returnees: Lauren Schutzler (OF, Fr.), Brittany Lastrapes (OF, Fr.), Sam Banister (1B, Jr.), Jenae Leles (3B, Jr.), Laine Roth (1B, Jr.), K'Lee Arredondo (SS, So.)

VIRGINIA TECH

Seniors: Angela Tincher (P), Caroline Stolle (OF)

Key returnees:

SUPER-REGIONAL TEAMS

Michigan

Seniors: Samantha Findlay (2B), Alessandra Giampaolo (OF)

Key returnees: Angela Findlay (OF, So.), Maggie Viefhaus (3B, So.), Dorian Shaw (1B, Fr.), Jordan Taylor (P, Fr.), Nikki Nemitz (P, So.)

Northwestern

Seniors: Darcy Sengewald (IF)

Key returnees: Tammy Williams (SS, Jr.), Lauren Delaney (P, So.), Nicole Pauly (2B, So.), Erin Dyer (C, Jr.), Kelly Dyer (OF, So.)

Oklahoma

Seniors: Lauren Eckermann (P), Savannah Long (IF)

Key returnees: Amber Flores (OF, So.), D.J. Mathis (P, Jr.), Samantha Ricketts (1B, Jr.), Lindsey Vandever (C, So.)

Stanford

Seniors:

Key returnees: Missy Penna (P, Jr.), Alissa Haber (OF, So.)

Houston

Seniors: Angel Shamblin (P)

Key returnees: Jessica Valis (SS, Jr.), Laurie Wagner (OF, Jr.)

Missouri

Seniors: Jen Bruck (P/UT), Amanda Renth (1B)

Key returnees: Stacy Delaney (P, Jr.), Rhea Taylor (OF, Fr.), Andee Allen (2B, Jr.)

Georgia

Seniors: Sojourner Moody (UT)

Key returnees: Sarah McCloud (P, Fr.), Taylor Schlopy (P-OF, Fr.), Kristin Schnake (IF, Jr.), Megan Wiggins (IF-OF, Fr.)

California

Seniors: Julie Meyer (C), Erika Racklin (OF), Katie Vickers (IF)

Key returnees: Valerie Arioto (UT, Fr.), Marissa Drewrey (P, So.)


One team that did not make the super-regionals, but is worthy of notice, is the University of Washington. As noted in this article looking forward to next year's Pac 10 season, star pitcher Danielle Lawrie is expected to return to the Huskies after pitching this year for the Canadian Olympic team.

UPDATE: As is inevitable, I tend to omit a few players whom many observers feel are important to their respective teams, either as departing seniors or returing players. Both to publicize the list and to allow others to suggest additions to it, I traditionally start a discussion thread at Ultimate College Softball. Here is the current thread, which contains several suggestions for additional players. My thanks to the contributors to this discussion from UCS.

Popular posts from this blog

Pitching Star NiJaree Canady Reportedly in the Transfer Portal

Stanford pitching ace NiJaree Canady has reportedly entered the transfer portal ( link ), having completed two seasons in the circle for the Cardinal. Stanford has made the WCWS in both of Canady's seasons on the team. Another school hit hard by the transfer portal is the University of Washington, with an exodus of eight Huskies . This list of the top ten players in the portal includes four from UW. Today is the final day of the 30-day window for players to enter the portal.

NiJaree Canady Transferring to -- of All Places -- Texas Tech

NiJaree Canady, whose sub-1.00 ERA helped lead Stanford to the Women's College World Series in both her years with the Cardinal, announced on July 24 that she is transferring to Texas Tech. I've lived in Lubbock for 27 years and can say that the town has been improving with a greater selection of restaurants and shops, and a new downtown performing arts center. Likewise, nice new facilities have been dotting the Texas Tech campus . Still, it seems unlikely that Canady would have become a Red Raider without the $1 million annual Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) deal for her, made possible by the donation of a Texas Tech alumni couple. So stunning an event is this, even in the ever-changing world of collegiate athletics, that the New York Times  even ran a behind-the-scenes story on Canady's path to Texas Tech. I look forward to being in the stands to watch Canady pitch next spring, an opportunity I never expected to have.

2024 WCWS -- Day 6

Oklahoma has kept its quest for a fourth straight WCWS title alive with a 6-5 eight-inning win over Florida to advance to the championship round. The Sooners will take on Texas in a two-out-of-three series beginning Wednesday night. Florida held a 5-2 lead after three innings and looked well on its way to beating OU for the second straight day, which would have eliminated the Sooners and taken the Gators to the final round. However, UF scored no further runs, whereas Oklahoma chipped away with two in the fourth, one in the sixth, and one in the eighth. The final run came via Jayda Coleman's opposite-field walk-off home run to lead off the bottom of the eighth.  Sooner starter Kelly Maxwell went the distance, allowing only four hits. Three of those hits were home runs within the first three innings; the only other Gator hit was an infield single in the top of the sixth. Maxwell also walked five and struck out eight. Florida starter Keagan Rothrock also went the distance, allowing 1...