As the 2026 Women’s College World Series begins in Oklahoma City Thursday, the star-studded field features Texas Tech’s NiJaree Canady, UCLA’s Megan Grant and Nebraska’s Jordy Frahm—while several top performers are already out, underscoring how fast fortunes c
When the 2026 Women’s College World Series gets underway in Oklahoma City this week. it won’t take long for the tournament to feel different from the regular season. The names are familiar—pitchers who can erase games. hitters who can change them in one swing—but some of the biggest superstars never reached this stage at all.
The eliminated teams include Belmont’s Maya Johnson, the nation’s leader in ERA and strikeouts. Florida State’s Isa Torres—also the D1 Softball National Player of the Year—will not be on the diamond. Purdue’s Moriah Polar, the hits leader, is out as well, along with Oklahoma rookie sensation Kendall Wells.
Still, the Women’s College World Series Thursday start will bring a deep lineup of national award winners and statistical standouts, led by Texas Tech ace NiJaree Canady, UCLA slugger Megan Grant and Nebraska’s Jordy Frahm.
8. Karlie Davison. Arkansas
The senior second baseman has caught fire at the plate in the NCAA Tournament. turning into one of the best hitters still alive in the postseason. Among players on the eight teams playing in Oklahoma City, Davison leads in slugging percentage (1.615), OPS (2.282), RBIs (13) and total bases (21).
A transfer from Utah who has spent the past two seasons playing for the Razorbacks, Davison is hitting .538 in the postseason with seven hits, four walks and four home runs. On the season, she has a .965 fielding percentage.
7. Jocelyn Briski, Alabama
Briski is the kind of pitcher who can make an entire lineup look out of sync. Over 17 innings in the postseason, the junior right-hander has allowed just four hits and struck out 23 batters.
Named the SEC Pitcher of the Year, Briski is sixth nationally in ERA with a 1.31 mark and second in strikeout-to-walk ratio at 9.43. She’s 22-3 on the season with four saves and 198 strikeouts in 156.2 innings of work. Her ability will be a key factor in how far Alabama advances in Oklahoma City.
6. Karlyn Pickens, Tennessee
Pickens arrives with a record that’s hard to ignore. The No. 1 overall pick in the AUSL Draft owns the record for tossing the fastest pitch ever thrown in the history of Division I college softball—79.4 miles per hour on the gun last season in the Super Regionals.
She has remained one of the sport’s best pitchers this season, ranking 11th nationally in strikeouts per seven innings (9.5) and second in hits allowed per seven innings (3.39). Pickens has piled up 180 strikeouts, 15 wins and six saves.
5. Mia Williams, Texas Tech
Mia Williams has been a complete, game-shifting threat at the plate and on the base paths. The daughter of former NBA star Jason Williams. the junior second baseman became the first player in program history for Texas Tech to reach at least 20 home runs and 20 stolen bases in a single season.
She ranks fourth nationally in doubles (22), 17th in hits (83), fourth in runs scored (86) and fifth in total bases (177). Williams has also been caught stealing just twice this season.
Named as a second team All-American by Softball America and the NFCA, Williams has turned 12 double plays this season and posted a .933 fielding percentage.
4. Jordan Woolery, UCLA
Woolery’s production has been relentless. Named the National Player of the Year by Softball America. the senior first baseman ranks first in total bases (216). fourth in batting average (.500). third in home runs (34). fourth in on-base percentage (.595). first in RBIs (112) and second in slugging percentage (1.161).
A first team All-American and the Big Ten Player of the Year, Woolery has been one of the driving forces behind UCLA’s high-powered offense.
3. NiJaree Canady. Texas Tech
Canady sits at the center of college softball’s rising conversation about NIL and star power. but her place in this field is backed by numbers. The highest-paid player in college softball and the face of NIL in the sport. Canady was the second overall pick in the AUSL Draft and tossed the first perfect game of her career this season. striking out nine batters in a win over Baylor.
She’s won several player and pitcher of the year awards in her career, but her focus is on the championship side. This will be the fourth consecutive season Canady has played at the WCWS in Oklahoma City.
On the season, Canady ranks eighth nationally in strikeouts per seven innings (9.8) and has piled up 226 strikeouts and 25 wins while sporting a 1.78 ERA.
2. Megan Grant, UCLA
If the tournament is going to be defined by power, Grant is built for it. No player in the history of college softball has hit dingers like Megan Grant, who is now the NCAA’s single season record-holder for most home runs with 40.
She’ll be looking to add to that total this weekend as the dual-sport athlete—also played a reserve role for UCLA’s women’s basketball team—tries to help the Bruins win their first national title since 2019.
Grant. a 5-foot-10 senior utility player and the fourth overall pick in the AUSL Draft. leads the nation in slugging percentage with a 1.333 mark. on-base percentage at .650. and walks per game at 1.23. She is also fifth nationally in RBIs (87) and sixth in batting average (.469). This season, she has played first base, third and both corner outfield spots for the Bruins.
1. Jordy Frahm, Nebraska
The top spot goes to Frahm, a two-way player who changes the shape of Nebraska’s games. No other player in the country has a batting average north of .400 and an ERA below 1.50.
Frahm is a weapon for Nebraska on both offense and defense. and a big reason the team is playing in the Women’s College World Series for the first time since 2013. Nationally this season. the 5-foot-8 right-handed pitcher and utility player from Papillion. Nebraska. ranks fourth in ERA (1.14). first in saves (12). fourth in shutouts (eight). third in strikeout-to-walk ratio (7.8) and ninth in total strikeouts—having fanned 234 batters.
At the plate, Frahm is hitting .416 this season with 77 hits, 59 runs scored, 50 RBIs and 19 home runs.
One story runs through the names on this list: the tournament is built for volatility. The WCWS field still features award winners and record-level performers—Canady’s perfect game and 226 strikeouts. Grant’s NCAA home run mark of 40. Frahm’s combination of a 1.14 ERA with a .416 average—yet even top statistical leaders like Maya Johnson. Isa Torres. Moriah Polar and Kendall Wells were already eliminated.
For fans in Oklahoma City this week, the stakes feel immediate. Every contender here arrives with a specific type of momentum—hitters who post high slugging and RBI totals. pitchers who dominate with strikeouts and low ERAs—while the absence of certain stars shows how quickly a season can end once the postseason tightens.
WCWS 2026 Women’s College World Series Oklahoma City NiJaree Canady Megan Grant Jordy Frahm Tennessee softball pitching growth NCAA softball