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1 Mid-Major Player to Know from Each Regional

Screenshot 2025-02-05 152517by:Cooper Taylor•05/14/25
Screenshot 2025-05-14 at 6.16.32 PM
Photo courtesy of UConn Athletics

Every year, at least one mid-major team continues its season into each regional. While the host players may capture the majority of attention, there is no shortage of talent in the mid-major ranks. So, we break down the stars to watch from the unsuspecting teams just looking to bust your bracket.

Bryan-College Station Regional

Rachel Roupe, OF, Liberty

Roupe has been the spotlight of the Flames’ lineup for three years, but the senior right fielder saved her best season for last. Eclipsing the double-digit home run mark for a third straight year, she has mashed 20 long balls this season. Roupe has also doubled a team-leading 18 times. If the Flames face the Aggies in College Station, the right-handed power bat of Rachel Roupe against Texas A&M’s lefty ace Emiley Kennedy would be a matchup to watch.

Norman Regional

Maddia Groff, LHP, Omaha

The Southern Illinois transfer has made a name for herself in her hometown this season. The left-hander threw 190 innings, posted a 1.62 ERA and struck out 238 batters in her debut season with the Mavericks. The Summit League Pitcher of the Year will have her hands full in Norman, though. Omaha is in the same regional as potent offenses like California and Oklahoma, so the Mavericks will need Groff’s help to shock the softball world.

Gainesville Regional

Autumn Courtney, RHP, Florida Atlantic

Florida Atlantic, the American Athletic Conference regular-season champion, earned an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament for the second consecutive year. In her first season with the Owls, Autumn Courtney was unanimously named the conference’s Pitcher of the Year. The right-hander is also having a career year in the circle, and FAU will need her at her best as it heads into a regional that includes a powerful Florida offense, a gritty Mercer squad and a determined Georgia Tech lineup. Additionally, Courtney’s 23 wins and 163 strikeouts lead the team as the Owls return to Gainesville for the second straight year.

Fayetteville Regional:

Abby Mallo, C, Saint Louis

The Billikens are the lone mid-major in the Fayetteville Regional. Abby Mallo is also the Atlantic 10 Co-Player of the Year. The junior catcher has hit 19 home runs this season and leads the team with a .368 batting average. She reached base in every game of the conference tournament and is riding a six-game on-base streak. The Billikens will need Mallo’s power bat to step up when they face their first SEC opponent of the season on Friday.

Tallahassee Regional:

Belle Sardja, RHP, South Florida

The Bulls’ comeback effort in the American Conference tournament was due in large part to Sardja’s pitching. The senior right-hander was named the tournament’s most outstanding player and appears to be pitching her best at the right time. Over six innings in the tournament, she did not surrender a run and allowed only four baserunners. Sardja also holds a 1.79 ERA through 117 innings this season. She has worked alongside junior ace Payton Dixson, giving the Bulls a solid one-two punch in the circle.

Austin Regional

Kendall Grover, 3B, Eastern Illinois

Eastern Illinois is headed south as the only mid-major program in the Austin Regional. Junior third baseman Kendall Grover is the player to watch for the Panthers after winning back-to-back Ohio Valley Conference Player of the Year awards. This season, she’s hit for a .411 batting average while knocking 16 doubles and 10 home runs. Grover has also drawn 33 walks and struck out just nine times this season. Her on-base percentage sits above .500, and Eastern Illinois will need her best if it hopes to pull off the improbable.

Knoxville Regional

Shelby Kunkel, OF, Miami

Kunkel has seen a significant jump in production this season. After appearing in just 17 games last season, the senior has started all 59 games for the RedHawks this year. Kunkel holds a .376 batting average and has hit 10 home runs and 13 doubles. Batting at the top of the RedHawks’ order, Kunkel’s three-hit performance in the MAC championship also helped lead Miami back to Knoxville for the second straight season.

Columbia Regional

Allison Benning, RHP/UTL, North Florida

Benning is one of the premier two-way players in college softball. She swept the Atlantic Sun awards, earning Pitcher of the Year, Player of the Year and Scholar-Athlete of the Year. The senior right-hander has thrown 153 innings this season, striking out 169 batters with a career-low 1.51 ERA. At the plate, the left-handed power hitter has a .409 batting average with 19 home runs and 50 RBIs. She has also drawn 70 walks, boosting her on-base percentage to .611. Benning leads the Ospreys in nearly every offensive category.

Los Angeles Regional

CeCe Cellura, RHP, San Diego State

For the third straight season, San Diego State is slated to play in UCLA’s regional. The Aztecs, following their conference championship, are the lone Mountain West team in the field of 64. Sophomore ace CeCe Cellura played a key role in San Diego State’s tournament run. She has tossed 139 innings this season, posting a 2.11 ERA. Cellura has struck out 85 batters while issuing only 18 walks. She also leads the team with 18 wins in the circle. In the Mountain West Tournament, Cellura pitched 22 innings and allowed just three runs.

Baton Rouge Regional

Grace Jenkins, C, UConn

Jenkins, a junior catcher, has been a force at the plate this season, batting .425 with 21 home runs and 19 doubles. She leads the team with 68 RBIs and has reached base safely in every game since March 14 — a span of 29 games. The Big East Player of the Year faces a tough challenge in the Baton Rouge Regional, where a potential matchup against Jordy Bahl or Sydney Berzon looms as one to watch.

Clemson Regional

Sophia Kardatzke, UTL, USC Upstate

Kardatzke, a top 25 finalist for NFCA Freshman of the Year, is one of the emerging two-way stars in college softball. The freshman has a great mix of speed and power. Leading the Spartans at the plate with a .393 average, the freshman has blasted 15 home runs and driven in 55 runs this season. She has also stolen 21 bases. In the circle, she holds a 3.02 ERA with four wins and 53 strikeouts. Kardatzke’s presence both at the plate and in the circle makes her impact this weekend all the more significant.

Lubbock Regional

Laurel Moody, C, Brown

In her final season of college softball, Laurel Moody is having a career year. The senior catcher was unanimously selected as the Ivy League Player of the Year. She also leads the conference with a .426 batting average, 15 home runs and 43 RBIs. Moody’s powerful impact for the Bears will need to be on full display this weekend in Lubbock.

Tucson Regional

Savannah Kirk, INF, Grand Canyon

Grand Canyon swept the postseason awards, with Kirk earning WAC Player of the Year honors and Meghan Golden named Pitcher of the Year. Kirk is batting .505 this season, the second-best mark in the nation. The slapper has been sensational at the plate, recording a hit in every other at-bat. The sophomore infielder also has 47 stolen bases, the fifth most in the country. The Lopes, set to face a deep Ole Miss pitching staff, will need Kirk’s speed if they hope to open their NCAA Tournament run with a win.

Durham Regional

Georgia Hood, 1B, Coastal Carolina

The right-handed power bat has wreaked havoc in her senior season. The Chanticleers rank eighth in the country with 86 home runs. Hood, the primary first baseman, is second on the team with 18 home runs and 52 RBIs. Her ability to both get on base and drive in runs earns her a spot on this list. She also leads the team with a .418 batting average, a .542 on-base percentage and 42 walks. In a regional featuring left-handed arms like Duke’s Cassidy Curd and Georgia’s Randi Roelling, Hood’s power could put Durham on upset watch.

Tuscaloosa Regional

Maya Johnson, LHP, Belmont

Johnson has been one of the most dominant pitchers in college softball this season. The left-hander has thrown 197 innings en route to a 24-win season. Johnson’s 1.24 ERA earned her Missouri Valley Conference Pitcher of the Year honors. Her 355 strikeouts lead the nation. The strikeout-heavy pitcher has also recorded 24 games this season with double-digit strikeouts. Johnson has been a crucial factor in Belmont’s first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance. However, her matchup with Virginia Tech’s home run hitters will be one of the most compelling storylines in tournament play.

Read more: NCAA strikeout leader Maya Johnson driven to finish what she started 

Eugene Regional

Brianna Roberts, LHP, Binghamton

Roberts, the America East Pitcher of the Year, led Binghamton to a No. 3 seed in the Eugene Regional. The junior left-hander has also posted a 1.98 ERA, recorded 163 strikeouts and won 21 games in the circle. So, Binghamton will travel cross-country to face Stanford in the opening round, where the Bearcats will rely on Roberts to contain a formidable Cardinal offense.

More from Softball America:

Ranking all 16 College Softball Regionals in terms of toughness
College Softball Regional Superlatives
Coaching Carousel Discussion Board
Transfer Portal Wire

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