Oklahoma is the 2021 DI softball national champion after winning the 2021 Women's College World Series over Florida State. Here's complete coverage of the 2021 NCAA DI college softball championship.
We’re breaking down the best topics and making predictions for the 2021 Women’s College World Series in Oklahoma City with d1softball.com’s Graham Hays, Tara Henry and Rhiannon Potkey and Michella Chester of NCAA.com digital.
The teams: No. 1 Oklahoma vs. No. 16 Washington
What to watch for: The Sooners are one of the most explosive, dangerous offenses in the country. They rank No. 1 in the country in home runs, slugging, batting average and more. They showed it this past weekend with 24 runs scored against Wichita State and production from their entire lineup. They hit six home runs in the regional finals. Nicole Mendes had a seven-RBI performance on Friday, and freshman Tiare Jennings has been huge. You cannot stop this offense.
But they are going up against Washington, one of the best defenses in the country, Pac-12 defensive player of the year Sis Bates and Gabbie Plain, who ranks in the top three in the country in strikeouts. This is now a different story here than what OU faced in the regionals. The Huskies took down Michigan twice to win the regional final and had an explosive fourth inning offensively in game seven with seven runs scored in one inning.
Tara Henry Jason W. Selby
Press News
Pending Osage Community School Board approval, Tara Henry will move from fifth-grade instructor to a new position: student success teacher.
The idea for creating the job came last Christmas, when Mitchell County was recovering from the peak of COVID-19. Middle School Principal Sarah Leichsenring saw the epidemic was having a lasting impact on students. The most obvious side effect was last springâs school closure.
Despite its impact, these considerations were secondary to Leichsenring. Some students simply needed more specialized help, both in the classroom and at home.
âYou take into consideration areas where we provide more support for our students and teachers,â Leichsenring said. âWe are seeing a subset of students who need skill development in certain areas â organization, working with others, communicating effectively, social awareness and self-awareness.
Michella Chester | NCAA.com | April 30, 2021
College softball predictions for the rest of the 2021 season, including the Women s College World Series
College softball predictions for the rest of the 2021 season
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There are few people who know more softball than d1softball.com’s Tara Henry. We’re about a month away from selections, so I wanted to talk to her again (see our last conversation here) and get her take on the biggest questions to be answered in the last days of the 2021 regular season.
You can watch the complete interview above. Here are some of what she’s expecting ahead of the selection show, which is set for Sunday, May 16.