ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON SOFTBALLONSI Credit: WBSC The No.1 player in the class of 2027, according to Softball America, has finally announced her verbal commitment. Aspen Boulware is staying home and going to play for South Carolina. The middle infielder announced her decision in a heartwarming video montage on X, with clips spanning from youth ball up until her latest college visits, which featured powerhouses like Oklahoma, Florida State, Georgia, Florida, and Texas Tech.

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON SOFTBALLONSI Texas Tech extended Gerry Glasco's contract through 2030. | Texas Tech Athletics After leading Texas Tech into the history books in his first season at the helm, head coach Gerry Glasco has received another year added to his contract, plus a pay raise. According to the Avalanche-Journal, which obtained information through an open records request, Glasco’s contract, which was set to expire at the end of the 2029 season, now runs through 20

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON https://www.si.com/onsi/softball The Tar Heels have set lofty goals for 2026. | UNC Athletics Tough. Selfless. Committed. Unbreakable. Family. Those aren’t just words that live on the wall of the North Carolina softball locker room or on the bracelets around players’ wrists. Those are the core values that form the foundation of the program, lived and breathed by the players and staff every single day. With two seasons under her belt at the helm, Megan

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON https://www.si.com/onsi/softball After 24 years, one UCLA softball coach has retired. | UCLA Athletics After 24 years of service to the UCLA softball program, one of the most vocal advocates for diversity and inclusion in sports, Kirk Walker, announced his retirement on Aug. 31, 2025. Walker is credited with helping build the UCLA softball dynasty that won seven NCAA Championships and made 18 Women’s College World Series (WCWS) appearances as an assis

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON https://www.si.com/onsi/softball Shawn, Lauryn, and Kendra Licari. | Netflix Netflix’s latest original documentary, Unknown Number: The High School Catfish, has left the world with dropped jaws. Starting in 2020, it tells the story of two Michigan teenagers, 13-year-old Lauryn Licari and Owen McKenny, who were horrifically cyberbullied for nearly two years by anonymous numbers. As the documentary unfolds, their parents, friends, and the high school s

Credit: LSU Athletics ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON www.si.com/onsi/softball Sept.1 marked the first official day that NCAA Division I softball coaches could contact current high school juniors , and several players have begun announcing their verbal commitments. LSU made waves first when infielder Bryli Seifert took to X on Wednesday to announce her pledge to the Tigers’ program. Seifert is ranked No. 32 and a four-star in Softball America’s 2027 class rankings . “I am extremely

Credit: Oklahoma Athletics ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON www.si.com/onsi/softball Nick Swisher's 2009 World Series win with the New York Yankees, his 2010 Major League Baseball All-Star selection, and his 11 collective years in the big leagues had little impact on his two daughters' decision to play softball. It was women’s softball and baseball standouts, such as University of Oklahoma alum and current NCAA all-time home run leader Jocelyn Alo, or two-time USA Baseball Sportswoma

Credit: Auburn Athletics ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON www.si.com/onsi/softball Auburn University and the softball community is mourning the loss of one of its most beloved supporters. Mike Cooper, better known as “Helmet Guy,” passed away in an accident in Clanton, Alabama, over the weekend, according to WRBL News . The 1974 industrial design graduate of Auburn became one of the Tigers’ most cherished fans for two decades, beginning with leading chants at baseball games in his p

Credit: OU Athletics ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON www.si.com/onsi/softball Former Oklahoma and Tennessee utility player Mackenzie Donihoo has been hired as an assistant softball coach at Division II Northeastern State, according to the Oklahoman. Known for her power at the plate, Donihoo was clutch in OU’s 2021 Women’s College World Series (WCWS) title, tying a WCWS single-game record with two home runs. She even hit .476 with 10 RBIs in the chase for a trophy while making a pai

Credit: Brett Rojo-Imagn Images ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON www.si.com/onsi/softball It’s that time of year again. For NCAA Division I softball, college coaches can officially contact high school juniors on Sept. 1, 2025. What Coaches and Athletes Can Do Starting September 1 Make verbal scholarship offers and send athletes all forms of private electronic correspondence, including phone calls, text messages, instant messages, direct messages and emails, as well as all recruiting

Credit: Umpqua Community College ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON www.si.com/onsi/softball Johnathan James Dowdy of Coos Bay, Oregon, who earlier this year hit a Umpqua Community College softball team bus while under the influence and killed head softball coach Jami Strinz and first baseman Kiley Neveah Jones, has pleaded guilty. The 32-year-old appeared in court on Monday and pleaded guilty to two counts of second-degree manslaughter, three counts of third-degree assault, and five co

Credit: Michigan Athletics ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON www.si.com/onsi/softball The winningest coach in NCAA softball history is getting the recognition she deserves. The University of Michigan athletic department announced its 2025 Hall of Honor class on Wednesday, and legend Carol Hutchins topped the list among five former student-athletes, and former men's track and field coach, Jack Harvey . Michigan Hall of Honor 2025 Class Carol Hutchins, softball coach (1985-2022) Jack Ha

Credit: Wilmington High School Softball ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON www.si.com/onsi/softball A former junior varsity assistant softball coach for Wilmington High School in Wilmington, Ohio, was arrested last Thursday after he allegedly secretly recorded minors with a hidden camera disguised as a Bluetooth speaker. According to information from the Clinton County Common Pleas Court obtained by Local 12 WKRC-TV , 48-year-old Gordon B. Cordell III was indicted on four counts of il

Credit: Australia Softball ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON www.si.com/onsi/softball The WBSC Women's Softball World Cup will return to Australia. The World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) announced Redcliffe in Queensland has gained hosting rights for the Finals in 2027. And there’s no better place to celebrate the growth the sport of softball has seen. The first-ever WBSC Women’s Softball World Cup was played at Albert Park in Melbourne in February 1965, with five teams: Th

Credit: South Carolina State Athletics ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON www.si.com/onsi/softball The Atlanta Braves and Truist announced on Monday that they have selected six Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) recipients for the 2025 Homers for Hank Together with Truist initiative, fulfilling a $1 million commitment over the past five years. Homers for Hank Together with Truist was established in 2021 by the Atlanta Braves and Truist to invest in local HBCU softba

Credit: Brett Rojo-Imagn Images ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON www.si.com/onsi/softball NCAA softball is finally changing its postseason tournament seeding format. Just like women’s volleyball and soccer, the road to the Women’s College World Series will now seed 32 teams, according to Softball America . These additions will not change the 16 national seeds, but will help boost the top seeds with essentially easier matchups. In order for the NCAA to protect the 400-mile geographic

Credit: Arkansas Athletics ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON www.si.com/onsi/softball A former Arkansas team manager and graduate assistant is returning to Fayetteville, this time as an assistant coach. Head coach Courtney Deifel appointed Parker Staggs to her staff on Friday, and he will primarily assist with the pitchers. “We are absolutely thrilled to welcome Parker Staggs back to our Razorback softball family,” Deifel said in the press release . “Parker’s work ethic, personality,

Credit: MLB ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON www.si.com/onsi/softball For the first time in Nike RBI Softball history, Detroit has taken the title of World Series Champions. After being eliminated from the 2024 Nike RBI World Series early on, the Detroit Tigers RBI Softball 18U team entered the 2025 season with new priorities. “Last year was our first year coming down here,” head coach Ron Goss told MLB . “It was kind of a shock to see how good everybody was, and then had to deal wit

Credit: USA Softball ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON www.si.com/onsi/softball At the World Games 2025 Women’s Softball competition in Chengdu, China, the United States grabbed its fourth consecutive gold medal with a 5-0 shutout win against Chinese Taipei . Ace Megan Faraimo led in the circle, allowing three hits and one walk to finish the complete game with 10 strikeouts. The undefeated Eagles used the longball once again to power their offense. A three-run homer by Sahvanna Jaqui

Credit: Minneota Athletics ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON www.si.com/onsi/softball The University of Minnesota’s softball team announced additions to its coaching staff on Wednesday, hiring a former University of Wisconsin standout and minor league baseball coach, Stephanie Lombardo. Lombardo joins the Gophers after serving as a development coach for the Greensboro Grasshoppers, the High-A affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates . Under the first female coach in team history, the Grassh