Fastest College Softball Pitcher 2023 is Valerie Cagle. Jordy Bahl, Alex Storako, and Megan Faraimo are the top-ranked pitchers in the 2023 season.
Softball pitches are underhand compared to the overhand style of baseball. There is variation in grip and arm movements while making a proper softball pitch.
The majority of pitchers control the ball which allows them to rotate it from top to bottom. The fingers should rest on the seam, and the wrist and arm should line together.
The arm movements have a series of patterns that every pitcher employs in their throws. They perform the backswing, then rotate their arms and then conduct a final downswing and release. The footwork should be articulate and generally has a pattern of Stepping Stride, Leaping Stride, and Drag.
There are many NCAA pitching rules in order for the 2023 season. For example, a pitcher cannot extend their feet beyond 24 inches of the mound before their pitch. Similarly, the catcher and pitchers can only signal each other when the pitcher's ball is in their glove.
Fastest College Softball Pitcher
Fastest softball pitcher is Valerie Cagle with a pitching speed of 76 miles per hour.
Cagle started playing for Clemson University in the 2020 season and has played 199 games in total for them as of 2023, starting all of them. As a pitcher, she has registered 78 wins, displayed an impressive 1.60 ERA, and made 718 strikeouts. Likewise, Valerie has made 72 complete games and pitched 660 innings for Clemson.
For her outstanding career performances, Cage has received multiple awards in 2023 including the USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year, NFCA First Team All-American, and a D1 Softball First Team All-American.
Grace Jewell is another star who plays for the University of Central Florida. She established a record by making a 70 miles per hour pitch. Jewell started playing for UCF in 2021 and has contributed 15 wins, 95 strikeouts, and maintained a 3.09 ERA over her entire career.
Moreover, Grace has pitched 167.2 innings, allowed only 84 runs, and conducted 6 shutouts and 7 complete games. Jewell received the 2023 NFCA All-Region Second Team honors.
Top College Softball Pitchers 2023
Top College Softball Pitchers 2023 cover Jordy Bahl, Montana Fouts, and Nicole May. These players have made awesome performances in their college careers.
Jordy Bahl is a 2022 Freshman at the University of Oklahoma who has become one of the dominant softball pitchers. In 2022, Bahl recorded an impressive 1.09 ERA, 22 wins, and 205 strikeouts from 141.1 innings pitched. She received the NFCA First Team All-American and NFCA D1 National Freshman of the Year awards too.
Similarly, Montana Fouts enters her final season as an Alabama Crimson Tide this year. In 2021, Fouts had a remarkable season, displaying a 1.61 ERA, 27 wins, and 349 strikeouts from 213.1 innings pitched. Moreover, she received the NFCA Pitcher of the Year honors, alongside being the SEC Tournament MVP.
Here is a list of the top 10 collegiate softball pitchers to watch in the 2023 season:
Jordy Bahl
Nicole May
Montana Fouts
Danielle Williams
Kathryn Sandercock
Kelly Maxwell
Alana Vawter
Chenise Delce
Ashley Rogers
Maddie Penta
Best Softball Pitchers Of All Time
Best softball pitchers of all time consist of Jennie Finch, Keilani Ricketts and Danielle Lawrie.
Jennie Finch played for the Arizona Wildcats in her collegiate days. There, she threw a no-hitter against SouthWest Texas State in the 1999 regional round. In 2000, she received the NFCA First-Team All-American due to her 0.79 ERA and 29 wins record. The 2001 season saw Finch helping Arizona win the WCWS.
Danielle Lawrie played for the University of Washington till the 2010 season. In those years, Lawrie registered a 1.26 ERA, 62 shutouts, and 1703 strikeouts over 1103.1 innings pitched. Moreover, Danielle guided Washington to their 2009 WCWS with 8 strikeouts, becoming the WCWS Most Outstanding Player.
Former Oklahoma Sooners athlete Keilani Ricketts is the University leader in strikeouts and wins. She has registered 133 wins and 1605 strikeouts over 1074.1 innings pitched, alongside 54 shutouts. Moreover, she won the 2013 WCWS and got the 2013 Big 12 Pitcher of the Year award.
There are many other great softball players who have achieved greatness in their careers too, like Cat Osterman, Rachel Garcia, and Alicia Hollowell.
Alabama Softball Pitchers In 2023
Alabama softball pitchers 2023 cover Montana Fouts and Alex Salter. Lauren Esman is a utility player who can pitch too.
Aside from the Great Montana Fouts, Alabama has other pitching stars in their mix. Alex Salter has started 14 games this year and contributed 36 strikeouts, 2.72 ERA, and 3 shutouts. She made a complete game shutout against UAB on 22 March.
Jaala Torrence is another Alabama right-handed pitcher who has registered a 2.08 ERA this year and pitched 94.1 innings. She has also made 75 strikeouts, 9 wins, and allowed only 34 runs. Jaala made her first no-hitter against Robert Morris on 4 March too.
The pitching roster for the Alabama Crimson Tide in the 2023 season is presented below:
Montana Fouts
Alex Salter
Jaala Torrence
Lauren Esman
Florida Softball Pitchers
Florida Gators softball pitchers cover Lexie Delbrey and Samantha Bender. Rylee Trlicek is the only left-handed pitcher on the team.
This year, Lexie Delbrey has contributed 7 wins and 54 strikeouts from her 80 innings of pitches. She has also accumulated a 3.15 ERA and will seek to make it like her 2022's 2.26 performance. She also participated in 6 complete games and made 4 shutouts.
Rylee Trlicek is active this year compared to her previous seasons, pitching 117.1 innings and making 57 strikeouts and 15 wins. She has also made a 3.28 ERA and allowed only 69 runs so far.
Here is the list of the pitching roster for the Florida Gators in the 2023 season:
Lexie Delbrey
Samantha Bender
Rylee Trlicek
Olivia Gigante
Elizabeth Hightower
Softball Pitchers In Stanford
Stanford softball pitchers include Regan Krausem and Alana Vawter. Tatum Boyd is a utility player with pitching capability.
Alana Vawter is a Stanford star involved with the university's softball program since 2020. Vawter has established a 1.77 ERA in 2023, alongside 153 strikeouts and 21 wins from 186 innings pitched. She also made a perfect game against Freno State in the 2022 season.
Likewise, Regan Krausem is another star pitcher who has contributed 2.13 ERA, 27 wins, and 225 strikeouts in her three-season career so far. She delivered 4 shutouts and a 1.66 ERA in the 2022 season, along with a no-hitter on 25 February against St. Mary's.
Here is the list of the pitching roster for Stanford in the 2023 season:
Tatum Boyd
Kylie Chung
Gabi Peters
Regan Krause
NiJaree Canady
Alana Vawter
Auburn Softball Pitchers
Auburn softball pitchers cover Emmah Rolfe and Annabelle Widra. Shelby Lowe is the only left-handed pitcher on the roster.
Annabelle Widra joined the Tigers this year and has had great performances. Widra has contributed 2 shutouts, and 75 strikeouts from 79.2 innings while having a 2.72 ERA and 9 wins. In 2022, she played 48 games for Michigan and got named to the Big Ten All-Tournament Team.
The pitcher roster for the Auburn Tigers in the 2023 season are:
Emmah Rolfe
Shelby Lowe
Annabelle Widra
Maddie Penta
Oklahoma Softball Pitchers
Oklahoma softball pitchers consist of Jordy Bahl, Alex Storako, and Kierston Deal.
Alex Storako is a newcomer at Oklahoma Sooners, as she played for Michigan previously from 2019 to 2022. Storako contributed a fabulous 1.71 ERA, 25 wins, and 300 strikeouts from 200.1 innings of pitches. She received the 2022 All-Big Ten First Team honors.
The pitcher roster for the Oklahoma Sooners in the 2023 season are:
Jordy Bahl
Kierston Deal
Alex Storako
SJ Geurin
Nicole May
Oregon Softball Pitchers
Oregon softball pitchers consist of Stevie Hansen and Allison Benning. Allison also acts as a Designated Hitter.
Stevie Hansen is an Oregon sophomore who has developed a 2.63 ERA this year and registered 20 wins and 110 strikeouts from 146.1 innings. She has improved on her Earned Runs Average from 2022's 3.27 too. Hansen got the Pac-12 All-Freshman Team honors in 2022.
Here is the Oregon Ducks pitching roster list for the 2023 season:
Stevie Hansen
Raegan Breedlove
Allison Benning
Morgan Scott
Elise Sokolsky
OSU Softball Pitchers
OSU softball pitchers feature Kelly Maxwell and Bailie Runner. Maxwell is a 2022 finalist for the USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year.
Kelly is the OSU Cowboys' star pitcher, with an average of 1.58 ERA over her four-season career. In the 2022 season, Kelly pitched 189.2 innings and delivered 21 wins, 1.22 ERA, 12 shutouts, and 313 strikeouts. She achieved the 2022 Big 12 Co-Pitcher of the Year award and the NFCA First Team All-America honors.
The Oklahoma State Cowboys pitching roster for the 2023 season is listed below:
