QUICK HITS
» STANFORD went 22-4 in a season shortened by the COVID-19 global pandemic … won 17 of its last 19 games overall and won nine straight from February 28 – March 7 ... strung together six straight run-rule victories from February 28 – March 6 … received votes in the USA Today/NFCA and ESPN.com/USA Softball polls throughout the season ... won 12 games in its final at bat, including nine walk-off wins (four walk-off home runs) ... placed first in the Pac-12 and fifth in the nation in stolen bases (59-for-62), led by Teaghan Cowles with 15 ... opened the year with 32 consecutive successful stolen base attempts ... also paced the conference in triples (15) while ranking second in the nation ... ranked third in the Pac-12 in ERA (1.51) while sitting eighth nationally ... amassed nine shutouts – eighth-most in the nation and third in the Pac-12 ... collected 58 two-out RBIs while limiting opponents to 21.
» JESSICA ALLISTER completed her third season at her alma mater.
» TATUM BOYD contributed a walk-off, two-RBI single vs. UNM on Feb. 7 ... went 2-0 and did not allow a run over 13.2 IP at the GCU Kickoff Tournament ... pitched to a 7-0 record and a .85 ERA over 14 appearances (10 starts) and 57.1 innings of work ... logged three complete games.
» TEAGHAN COWLES set the Stanford program record for career triples with her 19th in an 8-0 victory over Pacific on February 28 ... six triples this year led the Pac-12 and ranked second in the nation ... hit .390 with 26 runs scored, six doubles, the six triples, a home run and 11 RBIs ... stole 15 bases in 16 attempts ... reached safely in 19 straight games from February 8 – March 6, highlighted by a 12-game hit streak from February 16 – March 6 ... amassed 12 multi-hit games ... hit a walk-off, two-run home run vs. Drake on February 16, handing Stanford a 9-0 run-rule victory in the sixth inning ... hit .571 with nine runs scored and four stolen bases during the DeMarini Invitational.
» MONTANA DIXON collected a pair of home runs and hit .400 at the DeMarini Invitational ... contributed a walk-off single to beat Pacific in five innings on February 28.
» MADDY DWYER earned CoSIDA Academic All-District honors.
» TAYLOR GINDLESPERGER hit a team-best .402 with 26 runs scored, three doubles, four triples, a home run and 24 RBIs ... swiped 13 bases in 14 steal attempts ... connected for a walk-off, two-run home run in the bottom of the 10th to seal a 3-1 victory and a split of two games with Seattle U on February 13 ... two career home runs are a grand slam at Santa Clara on April 9, 2019 and the walk-off home run ... paced Stanford with five multi-RBI contests ... collected 10 multi-hit games … hit .467 with seven runs scored, a double, three triples and six RBIs at Tennessee Invitational to finish the year.
» HANNAH HOWELL reached safely in 14 straight games from February 14 – March 6, capped by a nine-game hit streak that began on February 22 ... hit .500 with six runs scored, five RBIs and three stolen bases during the DeMarini Invitational ... earned CoSIDA Academic All-District honors.
» KRISTINA INOUYE amassed seven multi-hit games ... earned CoSIDA Academic All-District honors.
» KAITLYN LIM led the team in home runs (4) and drove in 22 runs … collected a pair of home runs and hit .385 at the DeMarini Invitational ... had a six-game hit streak snapped in the opener vs. Nevada, but reached in all but three games this year ... had a hit in all but six games played with an at bat ... hit her first career home run vs. Hofstra on February 15 to guide the Cardinal to a 1-0 victory ... drove in four runs, including a three-run triple, vs. Drake on February 16.
» EMILY SCHULTZ hit safely in 10 straight games from February 8-22 after going hitless in her first four contests ... hit safely in 18 of her last 22 overall … amassed nine multi-hit games and four multiple-RBI contests ... finished the year hitting .373 with 20 runs scored, five doubles, a triple, three home runs and 17 RBIs.
» SYDNEY STEELE hit a walk-off grand slam in the bottom of the ninth inning to hand Stanford a 7-3 victory over Fresno State on February 18 ... contributed a second walk-off hit on February 22 vs. Nevada - shooting a single into left field to hand Stanford a 2-1 victory in the bottom of the seventh.
» ALANA VAWTER posted four shutouts to rank third in the Pac-12 and 12th nationally ... tossed a one-hit, complete-game shutout vs. Drake on February 16 ... faced one over the minimum in that game vs. the Bulldogs ... shutout was her second of the week as she struck out a career-best eight in a 3-0 win over Hofstra on February 14 ... went 3-0 with two complete-game shutouts and 13 strikeouts at the DeMarini Invitational ... finished the year 9-1 with a 1.48 ERA in 15 appearances (11 starts) and 61.1 innings in the circle ... completed six games and struck out 52 to 20 walks.
A LOOK BACK
Stanford finished the 2020 campaign at 22-4 overall, completing just over one month of nonconference play before the remainder of the season was shortened due to the COVID-19 outbreak. The Cardinal received votes in the major polls throughout the year, finishing the season as the highest vote-getter outside of the top 25 in the Softball America poll and the second-highest vote-getter outside the top 25 in the NFCA poll. Stanford won 17 of its last 19 games, including defeating Fresno State (finished year ranked No. 23) and Tennessee on the road. Stanford's season was canceled prior to the Pac-12 opener against Oregon following its annual break for final exams.
READY TO RUN
Stanford was 59-for-62 in stolen base attempts this year, led by 15 from senior Teaghan Cowles. The 59 stolen bases place ninth in program history for a single season despite playing only 26 games. Averaging 2.27 stolen bases per game, the Cardinal was on pace to steal 127 bases by the end of the regular season. The program record is 91 steals in 59 games in 2011 (1.54/game). On the other side, Stanford allowed just three stolen bases against (first in the Pac-12) and threw out six potential base stealers (most in the Pac-12). The Cardinal, which opened the season with 32 consecutive successful steals, ranked fifth nationally in the category and led the Pac-12. Eleven different players swiped at least one bag this year, including six with three or more stolen bases. After Cowles, sophomore Taylor Gindlesperger stole 13, while senior Hannah Howell managed eight. Freshman Kaitlyn Lim stole seven, and sophomore Emily Young contributed six. The Cardinal stole seven bags vs. Hofstra on February 14 - the most since swiping seven vs. Oregon State on April 16, 2011. Stanford was held without a steal just four times this year, and swiped at least two in all but eight games this season.
TOSSING ZEROS
The Cardinal amassed nine shutouts over 26 games played this year - eighth-most in the nation. Stanford won the season opener over Grand Canyon 3-0 in eight innings before blanking the Lopes once more on February 7. A pair of shutouts over Hofstra got the Card started at the Stanford Invitational before a 9-0 victory over Drake capped play at the same tournament. Stanford then blanked Nevada 7-0 on February 22 to open a three-game series with the Wolf Pack. The Cardinal shut out Pacific (February 28) and Saint Francis (February 29) at the DeMarini Invitational before recording the final shutout of the year on March 6 vs. Toledo at the Tennessee Invitational. Thanks to the scoreless innings of work, Stanford finished the year ranked third in the Pac-12 and eighth in the nation in ERA (1.51).
YOUTH IN THE CIRCLE
Stanford looked to its freshmen class this year for innings in the circle, and the newcomers did more than answer the call. Freshmen hurlers accounted for 119.1 of the 171 innings pitched this season (70%). Alana Vawter logged 61.1 innings, while Tatum Boyd pitched 57.1 to lead the way. Twenty-one of the 26 starts this season also went to the two freshmen standouts as the duo compiled a 16-1 combined record.
ACADEMIC ALL-DISTRICT
Three Cardinal earned CoSIDA Academic All-District honors, as Maddy Dwyer, Hannah Howell and Kristina Inouye were all lauded. The three selections in a season are tied for the most in program history (2015, 2017). Due to the cancellation of spring sports due to the coronavirus pandemic, voting criteria for the softball teams included statistics from a student-athlete's entire career and not just this season. Dwyer carries a 3.67 GPA as an American studies major and has made 60 career appearances in the circle while compiling a 26-18 record and a 2.64 ERA over 246.1 innings. Howell, an art history major, carries a 3.52 GPA and has appeared in 158 games (130 starts) for the Cardinal. A .315 career hitter, the 2018 NFCA All-Region selection has scored 79 runs, has driven in 38 and stolen 19 bases in 23 attempts. Inouye carries a 3.48 GPA as a computer science major. Having started 181 of a possible 185 games, the 2019 Pac-12 All-Conference selection has compiled a .300 career batting average with 18 doubles, five triples and six home runs to accompany 81 RBIs.
LOADED FOR US? GREAT. LOADED FOR THEM? NO PROBLEM.
Stanford hit .458 (11-for-24) and drew five walks with the bases loaded this year - compiling 28 RBIs along the way. On the other side, opponents were just 5-for-21 (.238) with one walk while hitting with the bags loaded. Stanford also compiled four extra-base hits in the situation (one double, two triples, one grand slam).
MAKE IT A TRIPLE
Teaghan Cowles had six triples in 2018, tying for second all-time for a single season in Stanford program history. It was the most in a year since Cassandra Roulund also had six in 2013. Cowles did not triple over the first three weekends of last season, but recorded a pair in five games played at the Stanford Invitational to eventually finish with five for a share of the team lead in 2019 with Emily Young. Adding a conference-best six more this season, Cowles has racked up a program-record 21 triples during her time on The Farm - passing Ashley Hansen (18, 2009-2012) for the record. With the Stanford record already in hand, Cowles was next focusing her sights on a pair of very-much-in-reach Pac-12 triples records: the all-time mark of 22 held by Arizona's Alison McCutcheon (1995-98) and the single-season total of 10 owned by California's Kendall Richards (1994). It seems the triple has been contagious the last few years, as Stanford managed a program-record 25 to lead the Pac-12 and place second in the NCAA in triples per game a year ago. This season, the Cardinal amassed a conference-best 15 (second in the nation) to claim the seventh spot in program history for a single year despite playing just 26 games. The pace was seemingly increasing at the end of the year, as the Cardinal managed eight triples over the final six games of the season.
A STACKED PAC
Pac-12 teams occupied three of the top five spots in the USA Today/NFCA Preseason Coaches Poll with No. 1 Washington, No. 4 UCLA and No. 5 Arizona. Arizona State made the top-25 at No. 22 with Oregon and Stanford receiving votes. All three Pac-12 Women's College World Series participants from 2019 were ranked in the ESPN.com/USA Softball Preseason Poll with No. 2 Washington, No. 4 UCLA and No. 5 Arizona, while Arizona State checked in at No. 22 and Oregon at No. 24 to give the Pac-12 five teams in the top-25. The Cardinal also received votes in the poll to open the season. The Pac-12 has dominated collegiate softball as 24 of a possible 38 national titles have been claimed by Conference programs.
CARD PICKED SIXTH IN PRESEASON POLL
Stanford was chosen by the conference coaches to finish sixth in the stacked Pac-12 Conference this season. Washington, one of three league teams in the 2019 Women's College World Series, garnered 69 points and six first-place votes to sit atop the poll. UCLA, the reigning NCAA National Champion, was selected to finish a close second with 65 points and two first-place votes. Arizona received the last remaining first place vote and was picked to finish third with 61 points. Arizona State was selected fourth with 49 points, followed by fifth place Oregon with 40 points. The Cardinal tallied 38 points to rank sixth, Oregon State placed seventh with 34 points and California and Utah rounded out the poll, tying for eighth place, with 20 points each.
ALLISTER ON THE FARM
Jessica Allister became the Cardinal's fourth head coach in program history on July 18, 2017. Allister arrived on The Farm after serving as the head coach at Minnesota where she compiled a 290-107 (.730) overall record. Allister led the Gophers to unprecedented heights in 2017, registering a program-best 56-5 record and earning the first No. 1 national ranking in the USA Today/NFCA Coaches poll in program history. Allister registered her 300th career win against Santa Clara on Feb. 25, 2018. Having completed her 10th season as a head coach (seven at Minnesota), Allister has amassed a 369-162 (.695) overall record, including going 79-55 at the helm of Stanford's program. A second-team All-American in 2004 and three-time all-conference selection, Allister helped guide the Cardinal to four NCAA Women's College World Series appearances in 2001 and 2004. A four-year starting catcher, Allister holds the school record for most games played (266) and graduated among the top-10 in numerous career categories.