Rounding Third Softball

Hofstra has added Ophir Sadeh to their coaching staff. Sadeh joins the Pride after most recently serving as an assistant coach at New York University from 2019-2021. This is his second stint with Hofstra as he served on Hall of Fame Coach Bill Edward’s staff from 2002-2009.

Florida has been picked to finish first in the 2023 Southeastern Conference preseason coaches poll. The Gators received five of the 13 first-place votes. Tennessee was second with three first-place votes. While the back-to-back defending SEC champions Arkansas were third also garnering five votes.

1. Florida (5)

2. Tennessee (3)

3. Arkansas (5)

4. Alabama

5. LSU

6. Georgia

7. Kentucky

8. Missouri

9. Auburn

10. Ole Miss

11. Mississippi State

12. Texas A&M

13. South Carolina

USA Softball has announced the watch list for their Collegiate Player of the Year. The award will recognize the top collegiate player based on outstanding play throughout the 2023 NCAA Division I collegiate softball season. The watchlist includes 2022 finalists Baylee Klingler (Washington), Jordy Bahl (Oklahoma), Grace Lyons (Oklahoma), Kelly Maxwell (Oklahoma State), Sydney McKinney (Wichita State) and Danielle Williams (Northwestern). A complete list of the Top 50 can be found at https://www.teamusa.org/…/USA-Softball-unveils-Top-50…

Corning Community College has been voted No. 1 in the NJCAA DIII Preseason Rankings. Last years national runner-up received all seven first-place votes. The Barons finished the 2022 season 40-8.

1. Corning (7)

2. North Dakota SCS

3. Brookdale

4. Herkimer

5. Owens

6. RCSJ Gloucester

7. Suffolk County

8. St. Cloud Tech

9. Surry

10. Joliet

Phoenix College has been voted No. 1 in the NJCAA DII Preseason Rankings. The back-to-back and defending national champion Bears received all 12 first-place votes. PC will be going for their 11th national title in 2023.

1. Phoenix (12)

2. Murray State

3. Des Moines Area

4. Kirkwood

5. Jones

6. Danville Area

7. Copiah-Lincoln

8. Northwest Mississippi

9. LSU-Eunice

10. Kansas City Kansas

11. Louisburg

12. Delaware Tech

13. Jackson

14. Triton

15. Cowley

16. Illinois Central

17. Parkland

18. Lansing

19. Rock Valley

20. WVU Potomac State

Back-to-back defending National Champion Florida Southwestern has topped the NJCAA DI Preseason Rankings. FSW received all eight first-place votes in the poll. The Buccaneers have gone a combined 105-10 over the past two championship seasons.

1. Florida SouthWestern (

2. McLennan

3. Odessa

4. Seminole State (OK)

5. Wallace State-Hanceville

6. Chattanooga State

7. Butler

8. Grayson

9. Central Arizona

10. Southern Idaho

11. Pensacola State

12. Central Florida

13. Indian Hils

14. Chipola

15. Yavapai

16. Paris

17. Hutchinson

18. Lake Land

19. Eastern Arizona

20. San Jacinto

Tina Whitlock will join Class-A affiliate Peoria the St. Louis Cardinals have announced. Whitlock has worked in the Cardinals organization the last several years in a variety of roles. Most recently she served as a tech fellow at the Cardinals Jupiter, Florida Complex. She will now act as the fourth coach for the Minor League Chiefs. Whitlock (maiden name Plew) was an All-American at South Carolina where she helped lead the Gamecocks to the 1997 Women’s College World Series. Whitlock worked in the sport of softball before crossing over to baseball. She served a stint as the pitching coach for the British National Team. She also had collegiate coaching stops at Furman, LeMoyne, Lander, Mercer, Chattanooga, and USC Upstate.

Sul Ross State will be making the transition from Division III to Division II for the 2024-25 sports season. The institute located in the small West Texas town of Alpine is currently a member of the American Southwest Conference. The Lobos are expected to join DII’s mega-conference, the Lone Star, once the move is made. The Sul Ross Softball program went 23-19 and 15-15 in conference play last season.

Legendary Women’s Major Coach John Stratton will be inducted into the National Softball Hall of Fame this October USA Softball has announced. The Coach of the famous Raybestos Brakettes of Stratford, CT has been part of the squads coaching staff for over 40 years. During that time the Brakettes have won over 2,300 games good for a .917 winning percentage. The team also compiled 16 national championship titles along the way. Stratton coached many legends of the sport including Joan Joyce, Sue Enquist, Dot Richardson, Barbara Reinalda, Kathy Arendsen and a slew of other greats of the game.

USA Softball has announced that Olympian Valerie Arioto will be enshrined in the National Softball Hall of Fame this October. The former Cal Bear starred 11 seasons for Team USA leading the squad to 13 medals including four World Cup gold medals, three Pan American Games gold medals and two World Championship gold medals. She capped her career with an Olympic silver medal at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.