With Nija, Jordy and others moving on, college softball is ready for a new era of stars

OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. — As a blur of burnt orange flooded the field at Devon Park, with gloves tossed in the air and the stadium lights flashing, NiJaree Canady remained in the dugout, packing up her bat bag embossed with the Texas Tech logo for the final time of her college career.

Tears were shed all over the stadium, some of pure happiness, some of pure relief and, in the case of Red Raiders players and faithful, some of pure heartbreak.

The scene was fitting, really. In a Women’s College World Series that saw the Texas Longhorns — who fought through the loser’s bracket — mow down opponents Nebraska, Tennessee and, ultimately, Texas Tech, it was the ultimate metaphor.

Texas ace Teagan Kavan had to go through three of the greatest pitchers in recent softball history: Jordy Frahm from Nebraska, Karlyn Pickens from Tennessee, and, ultimately, Canady.

Of course, in a year where this senior class was one of the best college softball has ever seen, it was a junior who sealed the deal for her team. Of course, in a year where an historic offensive surge dominated the storyline, it was the pitching that prevailed. Of course, in a year where softball smashed viewership records, it was on the biggest stage that we saw the sport’s next star — and perhaps, a new generation — come to the forefront.

Mannnn Texas Tech/UCLA was a good one…..

— Vince Carter (@mrvincecarter15) June 1, 2026

But softball would not be at this point if it weren’t for the new horizons Canady, Frahm, Pickens and other stars such as Belmont’s Maya Johnson spearheaded in their time on the diamond while in college.

“Jordy leading her team to two national championships at Oklahoma to then go play closer to home — that’s a legacy move,” ESPN broadcaster Amanda Scarborough said. “Karlyn being loyal and staying at Tennessee for all four years and becoming the hardest thrower in our game. Then, NiJa making the move to go from Stanford to build a program at Texas Tech that is doing things it’s never done before, and being the million-dollar NIL star. They’re all leaving a unique, long-lasting legacy in our sport.”

Johnson, who led the nation in ERA (0.78), strikeouts (397), shutouts (15), strikeouts per seven innings (12.9) and WHIP (0.68) among other categories, chose to stay at a non-Power 4 school that supported her through a lupus diagnosis. She became the first mid-major player drafted into the Athletes Unlimited Softball League (AUSL).

Did these four stars — among many others in this senior class, such as UCLA’s trio of Megan Grant, Jordan Woolery and Taylor Tinsley as well as Arkansas’ Robyn Herron — end their careers atop the softball world with the NCAA trophy in hand? No. That’s the Longhorns’ story; that’s the legacy Kavan continues to build, but these indelible marks have already been made.

“I don’t think someone’s whole career is defined by a national championship,” said Canady after Texas Tech’s Game 2 loss in the WCWS finals. “I don’t think that’s the goal. I don’t think not winning that game diminishes everything else.”

“Everything else” is almost impossible to encapsulate. All-America status. Player and Pitcher of the Year awards. Having pitchers go in the first three picks of the 2026 AUSL draft. And, of course, showing the game’s rising and future stars the different paths that are possible — whether it be switching programs through the portal or building a career at one school — and the ability to play the sport they love for a living.

Thankfully, this isn’t the last we’ll see of these unforgettable, thrilling and generous stars. It’s just the last time we’ll see them on this stage. Pickens, Canady and Johnson will play in the AUSL’s second season on the Blaze, Volts and Spark, respectively — this time with home cities as bases — in just a few days, with opening day on June 9. Texas senior catcher Reese Atwood will be with Pickens on the Blaze, too. Frahm, by her own choice, wasn’t part of the draft and has joined the Nebraska coaching staff. Her playing days aren’t over, though; she, along with Canady and Pickens, is a member of the USA Softball player pool with hopes of representing the country at Oklahoma City in the 2028 Olympics.

“It’s given me a platform to play the sport I love with the people I love and do so with just so much joy and fun,” Pickens said Monday. “I’ve soaked in and loved every single moment of it, and I’m very excited that my playing days aren’t over, but it’s definitely the end of a chapter.”

It may feel like this is the end of an era. In one sense, yes. Graduation is a chapter closed, whether you’re a college athlete or not. You see it in the ratings. You see the chatter on social media. You see the way women’s sports are just on the precipice of something huge.

“I think a lot of people watched Texas Tech, especially because of that attention we brought, but it also set a new standard for just female athletics, too,” Canady said. “I think we just helped pave the pathway to hopefully more investments coming.”

Those are coming. On Thursday, the morning before Game 2 of the championship series, MLB further poured into professional women’s softball by announcing the Brewers and Ryan Sanders Baseball joined the AUSL’s investor group. The AUSL also has major sponsors in Sephora and Adidas.

“It really just continues to validate the belief that softball is emerging and really becoming something that mainstream folks should be paying attention to,” said AUSL commissioner Kim Ng. “I think it supports the belief in softball and that, over the long term, this is very much a product that deserves a lot of attention.”

So, while we didn’t see those four senior pitchers hoist the national championship trophy, this is all a poignant reminder of what, for so long, college softball players have dreamed of — the opportunity. After the exhilarating action at Devon Park this past week and a season that opened new horizons, it’s not the end of an era. It’s just the ushering in of a new one. It helps that there’s a star like Kavan — the first-ever two-time WCWS Most Outstanding Player — to lead that in.

Really, the only question that remains is, who is next after that? Maybe, just maybe, one of the next big names was already in Oklahoma City in the stands. We’ll just have to wait and see.

“There’s going to be more. That’s the beautiful thing about this game and why my team likes to spend a lot of time signing autographs, even before they play a national championship game,” Texas coach Mike White said. “They know what it’s like to be that little girl and have those dreams. You just don’t know when the generational players are going to come along, but I’m sure there’s more out there, and we’re going to see them come in because this game is growing and it’s awesome right now.”

This article originally appeared in The Athletic.

Texas Longhorns, Texas Tech Red Raiders, Nebraska Cornhuskers, Tennessee Volunteers, College Sports, Women’s College Sports

2026 The Athletic Media Company