The Pac-12 heads into the Super Regional round of the 2023 NCAA Softball Tournament with the most teams still vying for a national championship. How can Stanford make it to Oklahoma City and the Women’s College World Series for the first time since 2004? Let’s take a look. 

No. 9 Stanford (43-13) at No. 8 Duke (48-10) — Durham Super Regional 

Stanford is in its second straight Super Regional and will face another familiar foe. The Cardinal played Duke back in February with the Blue Devils coming out on top 4-2, though both teams would probably agree that they are much different now than they were then. 

The biggest difference for Stanford is that the softball world now knows that NiJaree Canady is a bonafide star. The freshman still leads the country with a 0.46 ERA and has one of the best strikeout rates as well. Canady and Alana Vawter make for a pair of aces that work very well off one another. Canady’s riseball and Vawter’s dropball make it very hard for opposing lineups to adjust if they are used in the same game. 

Stanford’s offense doesn’t have to do much when it has one of the best pitching staffs and defenses in the country. Following the regional round, the Cardinal is 39-2 when scoring three or more runs. River Mahler and Taylor Gindlesperger typically get things in motion at the top of the lineup. However, Kylie Chung and Kaitlyn Lim have been very clutch for the Stanford lineup as of late. 

Duke is also making its second consecutive Super Regional and hosting it for the first time. Although unlike Stanford, this Blue Devil team looks a lot different than the one that visited UCLA last season. Duke also relies heavily on a freshman in the circle. Lefty Cassidy Curd has a team-best 1.50 ERA and .139 B/AVG. Junior Jala Wright leads the team in innings, filling in for the graduated Peyton St. George. 

The Blue Devils also saw a large portion of their offensive production last season graduate as well. That has opened the door for freshmen D’Auna Jennings and Aminah Vega to make an instant impact. Jennings leads the team in batting average (.471) and stolen bases (21). Meanwhile, Vega’s 118 total bases is best on the team. 

How can Stanford win

The Cardinal needs to simply stick to its identity. If Stanford pitches well and plays good defense there’s a good chance it’ll be on its way to Oklahoma City. Jessica Allister has said multiple times that her team didn’t play to their own expectations last season against Oregon State in the Stanford Super Regional. There will be a feeling of unfinished business. Also don’t be surprised if Stanford puts pressure on the Duke defense that has a .961 fielding percentage, which ranks 148th in the nation. 

Stanford players to know

• RHP NiJaree Canady – 0.46 ERA, 15-1, 2 SV, 180 SO, .137 B/AVG
• RHP Alana Vawter – 1.79 ERA, 19-8, 4 SV, 144 SO, .241 B/AVG
• CF Taylor Gindlesperger – .337 AVG, .856 OPS, 15 2B, 6 3B, 19 RBI, 8 SB
• 2B River Mahler – .372 AVG, .883 OPS, 5 2B, 2 3B, 20 RBI, 26 BB

Duke players to know

• LHP Cassidy Curd – 1.50 ERA, 18-1, 1 SV, 153 SO, .139 B/AVG
• RHP Jala Wright – 2.49 ERA, 12-4, 2 SV, 126 SO, .202 B/AVG
• 3B Ana Gold – .310 AVG, 1.168 OPS, 8 2B, 19 HR, 55 RBI, 10 SB
• CF D’Auna Jennings – .471 AVG, 1.026 OPS, 6 2B, 2 3B, 16 RBI, 21 SB

Schedule

• Game 1: Friday, May 26, 9 a.m. PT | ESPN2
• Game 2: Saturday, May 27, 12 p.m. PT | TBD
• Game 3 (if necessary): Sunday, May 28 | TBD

Other Pac-12 Super Regional Previews

• Oregon at Oklahoma State
• Louisiana at Washington
• San Diego State at Utah