Stanford Softball Has Multiple Players Earn ACC Honors

Stanford softball continues to put itself on the map. Since taking over as head coach ahead of the 2018 season, Jessica Allister has built Stanford from the ground up, taking the program from 24-31 with only three wins in conference play her first year to a perennial top-25 team.

Now, the Cardinal are consistently in the contender conversation to make the Women's College World Series. In the midst of the program's rise, Allister has been an elite talent developer.

This year is no different. Riding a 14-game winning streak into the ACC tournament and ranked No. 17 in the country, the Cardinal are a favorite to not only win the ACC postseason tournament, but return to the WCWS for the first time since 2024.

A big reason for the Cardinal's success this season is the dominant play from several of the program's stars (some of them already pros), resulting in Stanford receiving a lot of love when it came to All-ACC honors. This year, six Cardinal players earned a spot on All-ACC teams.

Anna Brewer, a freshman pitcher from Columbia, Tennessee, earned All-ACC Freshman Team honors after ending the regular season as one of Stanford's most reliable arms. Possessing a 5-2 record and a 4.30 ERA in 30 appearances (14 starts), Brewer's first season on The Farm was promising.

While she did experience some growing pains, most notably struggling in Stanford's series against Florida State and Duke, she also showed that she has a high ceiling.

Earning All-ACC Third Team honors is infielder Jade Berry. A third team selection last season as well, Berry was a major force all season long for the Cardinal, batting .316 with four home runs and 45 RBI through 48 games.

Last season as a sophomore, Berry put herself took a step forward, hitting 14 home runs (fifth-most in a season in program history) and drove in a team-high of 60 runs (third-most in a season in program history). Berry will be huge for the Cardinal in the playoffs.

Emily Jones, a senior from Westlake Village, earns All-ACC Second Team honors for the second straight season, adding onto her resume that also includes First-team All-Pac-12 honors in 2024.

Hitting .414 with two home runs and 21 RBI, Jones is not known for her power, but she is an on-base machine, third on the team among full-time starters in on-base percentage. Fast and athletic as well, Jones plays an elite outfield for the Cardinal, contributing majorly to Stanford being one of the country's best fielding teams.

The Cardinal had three players make the All-ACC First Team, headlined by AUSL draft pick Taryn Kern. Kern, a second round pick by the Chicago Bandits, is Stanford's biggest power threat after ending the regular season with a team high of 18 home runs and 43 RBI.

A former Big Ten Player and Freshman of the Year while at Indiana, Kern has become a fixture for the Cardinal since transferring to the program ahead of the 2024 campaign.

Joining Kern on the All-ACC First Team are pitcher Zoe Prystajko and outfielder Kyra Chan. Prystajko, Stanford's team leader in pitching appearances (38), has been the team's most dominant arm all year, ending the regular season with a 2.52 ERA, 0.99 WHIP and a 19-5 win-loss record.

Tossing three complete games as well, Prystajko has thrown 136.1 innings this season, with the next-most innings thrown at 71.2 by Brewer. Only a sophomore, Prystajko is on pace to evolve into one of the nation's top overall players in the coming years.

Chan, a senior, hit .392 with five home runs and 33 RBI while continuing to prove her worth in the lineup each and every day. Now, Chan will look to end her college career on a high note and bring Stanford to the promised land.

The Cardinal are a talented team and showed that all year long, but now the focus turns to being the team that comes out on top in the ACC tournament. The tournament itself begins on May 6, with Stanford set to face the winner of Louisville-NC State in the quarterfinals on May 7. All games in the tournament will take place in Charlottesville, Virginia.

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