FOR THE SECOND-STRAIGHT YEAR, Stanford softball's season has ended in the Women's College World Series semifinal. The team returned to Oklahoma City for the fourth time, marking the first back-to-back appearances in program history.
The Cardinal won 50 games for the second time in program history, recording the most single-season wins since 2001. Stanford spent the overwhelming majority of the season in ranked in the top 15 of all all major polls, culminating in a postseason run that included both Regionals and Super Regionals on The Farm for the first time since 2009.
In Pac-12 play, the Card went 17-7 to tie a program record for single-seasonn conference wins. The only other time Stanford picked up 17 wins in conference play was in 1998, when the conference slate was 28 games.
Throughout the season, the Cardinal topped four different then-top-five teams. Stanford beat No. 2 Tennessee at the Clearwater Invitational, No. 2 Texas in Austin, No. 5 Georgia at home and No. 5 Oklahoma State at the Women's College World Series.
Stanford's postseason run was thrilling the entire way, winning five elimination games in the NCAA Tournament. After falling to Cal State Fullerton in the Stanford Regional final, the Card won 4-2 in the winner-take-all game seven. Then after dropping game one of the Stanford Super Regional to No. 11 LSU, Stanford rallied with back-to-back shutout wins to advance to the WCWS.
Once in OKC, the Card rattled off two more elimination game wins. Against No. 5 Oklahoma State, Stanford won in run-rule fashion. The 8-0 win in six innings forced a rematch with No. 6 UCLA, after the Bruins won the regular season series against Stanford. The Card won 3-1 to make the program's second-straight national semifinal. The Cardinal bowed out of the WCWS in the semifinal, falling 1-0 to top-seeded Texas.
