Softball On SI's NCAA Division I All-Quarter-Century Team: Pitchers

Jul 26, 2021; Yokohama, Japan; Team United States pitcher Monica Abbott (14) and pitcher Catherine Osterman (38) jog during a break in the first inning against Team Japan in the opening round softball match during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Summer Games at Yokohama Baseball Stadium. | Kareem Elgazzar-USA TODAY Networ

There have been 25 seasons of NCAA Division I softball this century.

Now, Softball On SI looks to build the All-Quarter-Century team, and we must decide on the best pitcher to represent the last 25 years of the sport.

There are five players from the list below who will make the final roster.

The Softball On SI All-Quarter-Century team will be released on Aug. 1.

Vote for five players below. Continue scrolling for information on each of the players.

Pitchers

Jordy Bahl, a three-time First Team All-American, was named a the National Fastpitch Coaches Association National Player of the Year in 2025. She also earned Big Ten Player and Pitcher of the Year honors in her first full season with the Nebraska Cornhuskers.

NiJaree Canady led the Texas Tech Red Raiders to their first Women's College World Series and a national runner-up finish in her first season in Lubbock.

Montana Fouts and Kelsi Dunne represent Alabama. Both scattered their names all over the Crimson Tide record book, from wins to career-earned run average.

Jennie Finch, Alicia Hollowell and Taryne Mowatt represent the University of Arizona. All three have won national titles with Finch being the face of the sport and Mowatt emerging as a star when she took the WIldcats to a title 2007.

Keilani Ricketts, Paige Parker, and Giselle Juarez represent the Sooners. Ricketts was a two-time USA Player of the Year and the only Sooner to win the Honda Cup. Her 1,605 strikeouts are the most in OU history, while Parker grabbed the torch from Ricketts and put up the second-most recorded strikeouts with 968. Parker was a four-time All-American and holds the program’s record in perfect games at four. 

Juarez began her collegiate career at Arizona State, but transferred to OU as a junior. She made 39 appearances, including 32 starts, and finished the regular season undefeated with a 21–0 record, and was named Big 12 Pitcher of the Year.

Lauren Haeger, Kelly Barnhill, and Stacey Nelson represent the Gators. Haeger became the first player in the history of college softball in 2015 to record 70 home runs as a hitter and 70 wins as a pitcher. After leading the Gators in no-hitters, strikeouts, and WHIP, Barnhill was named the USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year, ESPNW Player of the Year, and won the Honda Sports Award in 2017. Nelson led the Gators to their first WCWS berth in 2008 and a runner-up appearance in 2009.

Monica Abbott and Karlyn Pickens represent the Lady Vols. Abbott held the record for the fastest pitch thrown at 78.2 MPH until Pickens broke it in 2025 at 79.4 MPH.

Rachel Garcia, Megan Faraimo, and Keira Goerl represent the Bruins. Garcia won the Honda Sports Award, USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year, and NFCA National Player of the Year in 2018 and 2019, and the Honda Cup in 2019 and 2021. Faraimo was a three-time All-American, and Goerl was the winning pitcher for the Bruins in the 2003 and 2004 title games.

Valerie Cagle was named USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year, NFCA First Team All-American, a Rawlings Gold Glove Award Winner, and ACC Player of the Year in her final season with Clemson.

Lacey Waldrop was the starting pitcher for the Florida State Seminoles, where she holds the school career record in wins. She was named the USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year in 2014.

Danielle Lawrie is a former collegiate All-American for Washington, where she led the Huskies to the 2009 WCWS championship and was named Most Outstanding Player. She is an Olympic medalist with Team Canada.

Cat Osterman was a collegiate four-time All-American and three-time USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year for Texas. She led Team USA to a gold medal in the 2004 Olympics and a silver medal at the 2008 and 2020 Olympics.

Angela Tincher was an All-American for Virginia Tech. She is the ACC career leader in wins, strikeouts, innings pitched, strikeout ratio, and no-hitters.

Katie Burkhart-Gooch is a former All-American for Arizona State, where she won a national championship with the team in 2008 and was named Most Outstanding Player. She holds the program record in wins, strikeouts, perfect games, WHIP, innings pitched, and strikeout ratio.

Georgina Corrick led the AAC in wins, innings (94.0), strikeouts, and starts, while also holding opposing hitters to a .134 average. She led the nation in innings pitched (274.1), shutouts (21), strikeouts (418), strikeout-to-walk ratio (13.13), victories (37), and ERA (0.51) among qualified players, and ranked third in hits allowed per seven innings (2.89) during her final season with UCF. She was named the AAC Pitcher of the Year four times and was the NFCA National Pitcher of the Year in 2022.