The Top 15 Softball Stories of 2021… & 15 More That Were Considered

Happy New Year on behalf of every one of us at Extra Inning Softball!

On January 1, 2021 we were coming off a COVID-devastated year in softball where we saw the Women’s College World Series, PGF Nationals, the spring high school season and the NPF get cancelled with the Tokyo Olympics getting pushed back into 2021.

This year, most everything was played but still, as we head into 2022 there is still some uncertainty but also a lot of hope that things will be much more “normal.”

On the softball side in 2021, we saw the Tokyo Olympics get played after being postponed from the year before. On the pro side it was the second year of Athletes Unlimited and in college witnessed a familiar face (Oklahoma) retake the national title. The club scene was full of great events including the return of PGF and the initial year of the Alliance National Championships.

For us at EIS, it was another strong year as we grew 40%, added Justin McLeod to our coverage on the college front and were very, very blessed to have Carlos Arias return after suffering a stroke in the Spring.

On January 28, it will mark the four year-mark when Extra Inning Softball posted our first story and in the four years, would you believe, we’ve published over 4,000?!?

It’s been a wonderful ride and we’re excited about what will be coming up in 2022; we love shining the spotlight on these amazing athletes, their coaches and families and are so happy to have YOU along to share it with use!

Below you’ll find our complete list of the Top 15 Softball Stories of 2021 as well as 15 others we felt were in the running too.

Finally, on behalf of our entire staff, I’d like to wish everyone a happy and successful 2022… see you on the fields!

— Brentt Eads, President/Executive Editor of Extra Inning Softball

*****

Top 15 Softball Stories of 2021

Clink on links to read…

• #15… Ty’Liyah Hardeman Foregoes Playing for Bethune Cookman to Support Family after Mom Dies, Now at Kennesaw State
• #14… Dakota Wagner Promotes Tourette Syndrome Awareness Through Her Successes On & Off the Field
• #13… Sara Goodrum, the Trailblazing Former Oregon Duck Softball Player, Makes History in the MLB Ranks
• #12… USA U-18 Team Goes Undefeated in International Play This Fall (& Valerie Cagle Leads the Way!)
• #11… Women’s College World Series Expands & Explodes in TV Rankings Thanks to Great Teams, Games & Storylines
• #10… James Madison’s Cinderella Run & Odicci Alexander Wears the Slipper
• #9… Avery Flatford Signs with Tennessee Tech… While Dealing with Cystic Fibrosis
• #8… The Pro League Status in Softball, Ongoing Developments Both Good & Bad
• #7… College Coaching Legends Retire
• #6… Oklahoma Sooner Domination, Team-Wise & Individually
• #5… The Transfer Portal
• #4… COVID’s Impact Continues
• #3… The NIL Factor (& Montana Fouts Popularity)
• #2… The Olympics Return (But with a Twist)
• #1… College Conference Realignments

15 Other Stories Considered

Click on links to read…

• Leach Family – 4 Girls Are Playing, Or Will Have Played, at Tennessee
• Successful So Cal Club Coaches Start Their Own Organizations (Briggs & Weil)
• South Florida’s Alexis Buchman Brain Cancer
• Extra Inning Softball’s Carlos Arias Health Miracle
• Australian Charli Orsini Commits to Tennessee Without Having Visited
• Softball Legend Cat Osterman Retires
• The Mabrae Simcox Story – Born in Ethiopia, She Found Happiness in Adoption & Softball
• Virginia Unity Merger Leads to More ChampionshipsKeystone High (Ohio) Wins 1,000^th Game
• Georgia Heachcock HR Derby to Raise Money for Leukemia & Lymphoma Society
• Tom Brady: “Best Athlete in Family Was Sister Maureen (Fresno State Softball Player)”
• Washington’s Heather Tarr Named Head Coach of the 2022 Women’s National Team
• Video Replay Coming to College Softball
• High Schooler Ryenne Elbert-Walker Has Cornea Transplant & Softball Community Support
• Texas Signee Sophia Simpson has Baby Named After Her

Top 15 Softball Stories Archives

• Click Here to see the Top 15 Stories of 2020
• Click Here to see the Top 15 Stories of 2019
• Click Here to see the Top 15 Stories of 2018

To share your comments, insights or thoughts, email: [email protected].