STANFORD, Calif. – The No. 19 Cardinal is on the road this weekend, starting a seven-game road trip with a three-game series against North Carolina.
The Tar Heels enter at 21-4 on the year and 5-4 in ACC play, taking two of three at California last weekend. Stanford heads east after a 4-2 homestand against Pitt and Notre Dame.
Zoe PryStrikeout in the Rankings // Zoe Prystajko has been electric to start 2026, earning NFCA DI and ACC Pitcher of the Week honors last week.
- Prystajko leads the ACC in strikeouts (101), strikeouts per 7 IP (10.6), hits allowed per 7 IP (3.66) and saves (3). The sophomore's 0.87 WHIP is good for second-best in the conference as well.
- The strikeouts per 7, hits allowed per 7 and saves are all in the top-10 nationally as well. The 101 strikeouts are 11th-best.
- Additionally, the sophomore leads the Cardinal in appearances (16), starts (8), IP (67.0), ERA (2.19) and victories (7).
No Sophomore Slump // Prystajko has made a significant jump in her second season on The Farm, seeing marked improvement across nearly every stat.
- After entering 2026 with a single-game best of eight strikeouts, the sophomore has reached that mark seven times in 2026.
- In 2025, Prystajko struck out 5.4 batters per seven innings. In 2026, that rate is nearly double at 10.6.
- Prystajko has already surpassed her strikeout total from last season (74) in 29.1 fewer innings.
- Last season, Prystajko posted a 5.00 ERA in 96.2 IP. Through 67.0 innings of 2026, the left-handed hurler has cut it in half at 2.19.
- 2025 batters hit .249 with a .469 slugging percentage off In 2026, opposing hitter are having significantly less success at .152 and .255.
Farm Fresh // Addyson Sheppard has made an immediate impact in her first collegiate action, emerging as a strong right-handed bat for the Cardinal.
- Sheppard is third on the team in batting average with a .370 clip.
- The freshman is second on the team in home runs (4), RBI (19) and third in on base percentage (.425), slugging (.589) and OPS (1.014).
- Sheppard earned the first ACC Freshman of the Week award of the season in week one, then earned Co-Freshman of the Week honors in week two.
- Sheppard has picked up a hit in 17 of her first 23 NCAA games, and multiple hits in eight.
Taryn Torching // Taryn Kern has been on a tear to start the season, doing it all for the Card in the leadoff spot.
- Kern has posted a .400/.516/.886 slash line through 23 games, good for a staggering 1.402 OPS, all of which leads the Cardinal. The slugging percentage is the fourth-most in the ACC.
- Kern's 33rd career home run last week pushed her out of a tie and into sole possession of the sixth-most in program history.
- The leadoff hitter leads the team in runs scored with 30, as well as RBI with 25.
- Kern averages 1.09 RBI per game as well as 1.30 runs per game, both of which are in the top 10 in the ACC.
- Including her freshman season at Indiana, Kern's 56 home runs are the fourth-most in the country among active players.
- Again including her numbers from Indiana, Kern leads all active DI players in both walks (160) and hit by pitch (63).
- The senior earned the first ACC Player of the Week award of the season for her efforts.
Historic Hitters // Seniors River Mahler, Emily Jones and Kyra Chan are all on pace to move into the top 10 in program history for career batting average (min. 200 at bats)
- Mahler leads the trio with a .356 career average, which would place her sixth on the all-time list.
- Chan and Jones would both sit tied for eighth all-time with .349 clips.
- Taryn Kern is knocking on the door as well, currently owning a .326 in 405 ABs with Stanford.