What does it mean to be a Birmingham Thunderbolt?

There’s an intensity required of everyone fortunate enough to play for James Lamar’s Lady Dukes club few others can match. Whether it’s a practice, scrimmage or game, Lamar insists on creating an environment that will prepare players for the big moments.

Building a program from the ground up is like building a house. You need a solid foundation, reliable tools, and a team of people tasked with a specific job.

When the coronavirus pandemic put an abrupt end to the Towson Tigers’ season last March, outfielder Nicole Kidwiler felt a deep sense of loss. It wasn’t for herself, but for the seniors. Through no fault of their own, they had been robbed of the chance to go out on a high note.

Mark Allister is the author of Women’s College Softball on the Rise: A Season Inside the Game. He welcomes story ideas and comments at allister@stolaf.edu.

James Madison University head softball coach Loren LaPorte is becoming accustomed to change. The past year has certainly had its fair share. Since last March, LaPorte has experienced a shutdown 19 games into the season, having a baby, a reduced schedule this season, and two games already canceled due to COVID-19.

An 18-game divisional conference softball schedule is planned for the Colonial Athletic Association for the 2021 season, with double round-robin action on the slate within the division.

Committing is a time that all hard-working athletes look forward to, but it can also be one of the hardest decisions we have to make. My name is Kami Kortokrax and I am a senior at Bishop Hartley High School in Columbus, Ohio. I was blessed to be a part of the Beverly Bandits that are nationally known for the level of softball they play at.

I am Madison Edwards and I go to Clarke County High School in Berryville, Virginia. I am a 2023 middle infielder for Team North Carolina Hinde. I am truly grateful to be a part of Team North Carolina Hinde. This team isn't just a regular group of girls. We are a family, on and off the field. 

Holding true to most everything else over the past year, the 2021 version of the Judi Garman Classic will have a slightly different look. 

The last weekend of February will feature the final round of matchups for THE 2021 Spring Games round-robin tournament brackets, with the weekend’s games held at the Legends Way Ballfields in Clermont, Florida. Kentucky, Stetson, and FIU will join New Mexico State, who saw action in the first round of Spring Games action earlier in the month.

Growing up in Lawton, Oklahoma, University of North Texas head softball coach Rodney DeLong was a die-hard Oklahoma Sooners football fan. When he began coaching softball, DeLong, now in his third season with the Mean Green, looked up to Sooners head softball coach Patty Gasso. So it was only fitting that on February 29, 2020, DeLong would lead his team to victory over the school he rooted for as a boy while making history at the same time.

During a recent staff meeting, Oklahoma State Director of Athletics Mike Holder was discussing the school’s spring season and the uncertainty that’s expected to come with it. At one point, he said something that particularly resonated with head softball coach Kenny Gajewski and his assistant coaches.

It’s a different feeling being defending national champions without playing a single Women’s College World Series game last season. Then again, just about everything in 2020 has been different thanks to a global pandemic, social unrest, and a college sports landscape that saw spring seasons abruptly halted.

University of Arizona head softball coach Mike Candrea didn’t set out to become the winningest college coach in the sport’s history. When he enrolled at Central Arizona College, his heart was set on playing major league baseball.