The 2025 NCAA Softball Tournament is officially underway. As the Tournament moves into the Super Regional stage, plenty of shocking and stunning moments have already proven what fans knew all along - this is a talented and exciting year for college softball. Below are three collegiate softball players who have made this tournament particularly thrilling.

Ella Parker - Utility, Oklahoma

Oklahoma beat California 12-1 to advance to the Super Regionals. The game was filled with hot bats from the Sooners, but none more memorable than utility player Ella Parker’s. Parker’s 285-foot homerun in the fourth inning gave the Sooners a big lead over the Golden Bears, and Parker later told the ESPN+ broadcast that it may have been the biggest swing of her career.

“Probably one of the longest bombs I’ve seen, here for sure,” is how Oklahoma head coach Patty Gasso described the home run. And it was especially sweet for Parker, who is known for being one of the best hitters in the college game but struggled to make the most of her talents during the regular season in conference play. For Parker, things are coming together at exactly the right time.

Up next for Oklahoma? A face-off against No. 15 Alabama on Friday, May 23 at 5:00pm (ESPN2, ESPN+)

Teagan Kavan - Right Handed Pitcher, Texas

When Texas ace Teagan Kavan took the mound against the University of Central Florida to wrap up the regional tournament weekend, she wasn’t feeling her best. "I've kind of been on a down, I've not been pitching how I've wanted to," Kavan said to the Austin American Statesman.

But that all changed in that game against UCF, as Kavan pitched a complete game shutout, leading the Longhorns to a 9-0 win and a spot in the Super Regionals. Though Kavan has had an up-and-down year, games like this one demonstrate that she’s the player you want on the mound in a high-stakes situation.

Kavan knows she has the stuff to take her team through more intense moments as the tournament presses on. As she said to The Statesman, “the game is 10% physical and 90% mental.”

Up next for Texas? A face-off against No. 11 Clemson on Friday, May 23 at 9:00pm (ESPN2, ESPN+)

Rachel Roupe - Outfielder, Liberty

The Liberty University Flames are headed to their first ever Super Regional, and that is mainly thanks to outfielder Rachel Roupe. Her 3-run homerun against Texas A&M lifted her team 6-5 over the tournament’s No.1 seed, and it also came after a previous run she had hit to get her team on the board earlier in the game. Texas A&M became the first No. 1 seed to lose in its own regional in the Super Regional era (since 2005), and the Liberty Flames hope that Roupe can keep the spark up as they move into the next round.

Up next for Liberty? A face-off against No. 16 Oregon on Friday, May 23 at 10:00pm (ESPNU, ESPN+)

Honorable Mentions:

• Taylor Shumaker: The freshman outfielder’s multi-home run performance helped her Florida Gators defeat the Florida Atlantic Owls and advance to the super regionals.
• Jordan Woolery and Megan Grant: The pair, who hit third and fourth respectively for UCLA, have been dubbed the “Bruin Bombers” for the heat they consistently bring to the plate, back-to-back.
• Karlyn Pickens: The Tennessee pitcher has already thrown the fastest pitches in college softball, and experts think she is capable of throwing even faster.