Rounding Third Softball

Jocelyn Alo has been named the 2022 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year. The Oklahoma Star repeats as CPOY after winning the award in 2021. Alo helped lead Oklahoma to its sixth-straight NCAA Women’s College World Series appearance while leading the nation with a 1.163 slugging percentage, a .634 on-base percentage, and has racked up 117 career home runs.

RTS will be on-site tomorrow in Oklahoma City for the start of WCWS Week. Media and Practice Day on tap Wednesday. We will bring coverage from the coaches/athletes press conferences and each team practice session at USA Softball Hall of Fame Stadium.

WCWS Wednesday Schedule (all times CST):

Press Conferences

10:55 am

Northwestern Press Conference

11:55 am

UCLA Press Conference

12:55 pm

Texas Press Conference

1:55 pm

Oklahoma Press Conference

2:40 pm

Florida Press Conference

3:10 pm

Oklahoma State Press Conference

3:40 pm

Oregon State Press Conference

4:25 pm

Arizona Press Conference

4:50 pm

NFCA All-American/DI Gold Glove Press Conference

Team Practice Times

10:55 am

UCLA

11:55 am

Texas

12:55 pm

Oklahoma

1:55 pm

Northwestern

4:25 pm

Florida

5:25 pm

Oregon State

6:25 pm

Oklahoma State

7:25 pm

Arizona

Rogers State has won the Division II National Championship. RSU defeated Cal State Dominguez Hills 6-1 in Game 2 of the National Championship Series at the DII World Series in Denver, CO. The Hillcats had won Game 1 of the best-of-three series Monday edging CSUDH 6-5.

West Georgia has named Kristy Burton their new head coach. Burton takes over the Wolves after spending the last four seasons at Webber International where she compiled a 117-73 record. This season she led WIU to the NAIA World Series.

Christopher Newport has won the Division III National Championship. CNU downed Trine 3-0 in Game 2 of the National Championship Series at the DIII World Series in Salem, VA. The Captains had won Game 1 of the best-of-three series Monday. Christopher Newport finished the 2022 season with only one loss going 47-1.

Last night Kianna Jones became the first female head coach in summer collegiate baseball history. Jones, the bench coach for the Coastal Plains League Macon Bacon, served as head coach in a game against the Forest City Owls. Macon’s regular head coach, Kevin Soine, was not able to make the road trip due to a medical issue. The native Canadian is in her first season with the Bacon. Jones also just completed her first season competing for North Carolina Softball, after two seasons with the program at Minnesota. A pitcher and utility, she hit .272 with 37 hits, including seven homers to go with 28 RBIs and 14 runs scored.

Hall of Fame Coach Kathy DeYoung has passed away after a battle with cancer. The 68 year old former UC Davis Coach had a long career that spanned four decades across numerous sports. Her run with the Aggie Softball Program between 1979-2004 was one of the most successful posting 777 victories.

A day after punching their ticket to their third straight Women’s College World Series, Oklahoma State has signed head coach Kenny Gajewski to a contract extension. The contract will take him through the 2027 season. Gajewski is in his seventh season coaching the Cowgirls and led the program to their first Big 12 Championship this season.

Tennessee Tech has announced that Michelle DePolo has been released as head coach. DePolo spent the last three seasons coaching the Golden Eagles compiling a 61-61 record. Before coming to Cookeville she spent nine seasons as head coach at Army.

The National Fastpitch Coaches Association has announced the three finalists for the 2022 NFCA/Schutt Sports Division I National Freshman of the Year.

The three finalists are:

Jordy Bahl-Oklahoma

Emma Lemley-Virginia Tech

Cydney Sanders-Arizona State

The winner will be announced on the evening of June 1 at the 2022 NCAA Women’s College World Series banquet in Oklahoma City.