With collegiate softball teams heading deeper into the conference-heavy portion of their schedules, standout Black athletes have drawn attention with their play. Keep these players on your radar as the road to the Women’s College World Series in Oklahoma City unfolds.
Power 4 players to watch
Ella Parker, designated hitter, University of Oklahoma
Ella Parker, a sophomore utility player who is holding down the designated hitter spot, is the hottest bat in the Sooners’ lineup.
Her career took off last season when Softball America named her a 2024 Freshman All-American and she was named the 2024 Big 12 tournament’s Most Outstanding Player. She also was named to the 2024 Women’s College World Series All-Tournament Team after Oklahoma won its fourth consecutive national championship.
This season, she is hitting .380 and with 13 doubles so far. With a game-high four hits against both Cal Baptist and Kansas, Parker helps set the standard for Oklahomas’s explosive offense.
NiJaree Canady, pitcher, Texas Tech
Junior NiJaree Canady made history last summer after accepting the highest-paid NIL deal in college softball, a $1 million offer, to play for Texas Tech. The 2024 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year led her former team, Stanford, to two Women’s College World Series appearances and is now bringing that energy to Tech.
She is ranked second in the country with a team-high 0.72 ERA. She is ranked fourth in the country in strikeouts (196) on the season and fourth in strikeout-to-walk ratio.
Texas Tech has never been to the Women’s College World Series, but with Canady in the circle and the No. 1 transfer class in the country, there is potential for Texas Tech to make history this season.
Danieca Coffey, third base, LSU
Redshirt senior Danieca Coffey has helped propel LSU to rank 10th in batting average across NCAA Division I softball. Currently ranked second on the team with a batting average of .432, the lefty leadoff batter brings power to the Tigers’ lineup.
She ended last season with a .404 batting average, starting in 16 games before suffering a season-ending injury. The 2023 National Fastpitch Coaches Association’s All-South Region First Team selection is making the most of her final chance to win a national championship with the ninth-ranked Tigers.
Mia Scott, third base, Texas
Senior Mia Scott has been vital in Texas’ success and its overall No. 3 ranking. Scott is batting .456 on the season and is tied for first on her team in doubles (11), contributing to her team’s overall batting average of .370, which ranks No. 2 in the country.
Scott helped lead her team to two Women’s College World Series appearances (2022 and 2024). She has made USA Softball’s Collegiate Player of the Year Top 50 Watch List for the last three seasons, and her presence on both sides of the ball has been key to the Longhorns’ postseason runs.
HBCU players to watch
Jace Jackson, third base, Jackson State
Junior Jace Jackson leads Jackson State in multiple hitting categories, including slugging percentage (.649), hits (50), RBIs (43) and home runs (four). Her .450 batting average ranks first in the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC).
Jackson State is the reigning conference champion after defeating Florida A&M in the 2024 SWAC tournament, in which Jackson was named MVP. In a rematch against FAMU in early April, the Tigers dropped the series after winning the opening game. Jackson contributed two of her team’s 12 hits on the weekend.
Kayla Adams, pitcher, Arkansas-Pine Bluff
Sophomore Kayla Adams, the 2024 SWAC co-freshman of the year, concluded her first season at UAPB as one of the top pitchers in the country. Adams, who was named to the preseason All-SWAC First Team, leads the SWAC in strikeouts (119) and also leads the conference in batters struck out with a game-high of 18, which she achieved against Southern in March.
Taylor Ames-Alexander, second base, South Carolina State
Junior Taylor Ames-Alexander leads the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference in multiple hitting categories, including batting average (.408), slugging percentage (.653) and RBIs (27). As the third hitter in South Carolina State’s batting order, she brings both power and speed, recording a conference-high of four stolen bases in early April against MEAC opponent Coppin State.
Sidney Fletcher, shortstop/utility, Howard
Senior Sidney Fletcher, who ranks third on the team with a .343 batting average, currently leads the Bison in multi-game hits (11), home runs (two) and RBIs (18). She also was a preseason All-MEAC First Team selection. She is one of many West Coast recruits under head coach Tori Tyson, who is looking to win the program’s third MEAC championship.