Fresh off a three-game sweep of No. 5 Florida State, Stanford (26-12, 12-6) is back in action with a four-game week. The Cardinal heads to the Central Valley on Wednesday for a 3:00 p.m. PT game againt Fresno State, before returning home for a three-game series with with NC State.
The Card enters on a four-game winning streak, with just six more ACC games left in the regular season.
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 .412/.552/.965 slash line through 38 games, good for a staggering 1.517 OPS, all of which leads the Cardinal.
- The leadoff hitter leads the team in runs scored with 53, as well as RBI with 38 and is tied for the lead in doubles with 12.
- The senior earned the first ACC Player of the Week award of the season for her efforts.
Record-Breaking Senior // Kern is on pace to re-write a number of Stanford softball record books in her senior season.
- Kern's team-leading 15 home runs this season are tied for the fourth-most in a season in program history, and her 41 career home runs are third-best.
- Kern sits just 11 walks away from the program's career record, set by Maddy Coon in 2009.
- Her .965 slugging percentage this season would be a single-season program record.
Keeping up With Kyra // Chan has been one of the Cardinal's most consistent hitters, doing a bit of everything for Stanford.
- Chan is slashing .400/.479/.658 for a 1.137 OPS. All four marks are second-most on the team.
- The senior has picked up a hit in 32 of the Card's 38 games, including 14 multi-hit games, leading the team in total hits with 48.
- Chan also sits second on the team in runs scored (35).
Dominant Top of the Lineup Card // Kern, Emily Jones and Chan have been a mainstay at the top of the Cardinal lineup, and have been massive contributors to the team's run production.
- The trio is hitting a combined 138-for-343 for a .402 clip, scoring 124 of the team's 262 runs on the season.
- Despite being atop the order, the trio has still driven in 100 runs on the year.
- The three seniors are the top three on the team in batting average and runs scored.
- The top of the lineup has set the middle of the order up for success behind them, drawing 58 walks to 36 strikeouts.
- Once on the bases, the three players are a perfect 16-16 in steal attempts.
No Sophomore Slump // Prystajko has made a significant jump in her second season on The Farm, seeing marked improvement across nearly every stat. Entering the week, she's already pitched more innings innings in 2026 (110.2) than in 2025 – 96.2 IP.
- After entering 2026 with a single-game best of eight strikeouts, the sophomore has reached that mark seven times in 2026.
- Prystajko has more than doubled her strikeout total from last season, striking out 159 in 2026, up from last season's 74.
- Last season, Prystajko posted a 5.00 ERA in 96.2 IP. The left-handed hurler currently owns a 2.91 ERA in 2026.
- 2025 batters hit .249 off In 2026, opposing hitters are having siginifcantly less success at .190.
- Prystajko has cut down her number of free passes, only issuing 43 walks and hitting 20 batters. Last season, in fewer innings pitched, those numbers were 47 and 30, respectively.