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Our newest Extra Inning Softball correspondent, Jessica Warren, knows all about competing in top stadiums around the country.
The 2018 National Champion infielder at Florida State has also been a two-time Cowles Cup champion in the National Pro Fastpitch league (2018, ’19) and is getting ready to compete this year in the first season of the Women’s Professional Fastpitch (WPF) league so she’s been to the top venues from coast to coast.
The former Florida State All-American has her favorites, of course, but No. 1 is obvious for what it symbolizes.
“Each year as a collegiate player you step on many fields ready to compete to—hopefully by the end of the season—end up in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, at The USA Hall of Fame Stadium playing for a National Championship.”
Having made one of the greatest plays in Women’s College World Series history on that very field, Jessi has personal thoughts on the power of that venue.
“The OKC venue is, by far for me, the best stadium to play at… not just because you’re competing for a National Championship, but because, when you step on that field you see so many young girls and fans cheering on the game of softball and wanting to be in your shoes!
“It’s the most humbling experience ever and to see the eyes of those little girls light up puts tears in my eyes, because that was me at one point. Looking in the stands I see me in so many little girls and warms my heart!”
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Methodology
Jessie has her fav’s, of course but she wanted to reach out to others to get their thoughts.
She surveyed 100 collegiate athletes and 100 softball fans to get their thoughts on the Top 10 Stadiums athletes love to play in based on the players’ perspectives and the Top 10 Stadium where softball fans love to watch games.
Howe did she do it?
“I put a Google doc on my social media,” Jessi explains, “and had people retweet it. Then, I sent the Google doc to every D1 team (one player I knew) and they sent to their team group chat and had someone answer the question. I capped it at the first 100 answers.”
Below are the results and, as a bonus, Jessi added some comments from players as to why the stadium they voted for made the list!
So, without further ado and by counting backwards, here are…
The Top 10 Stadiums as Voted On by PLAYERS!
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Davis Diamond @ Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas
- “State of the art facility”
- “Beautiful!”
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Husky Stadium @ University of Washington in Seattle, Washington
- “Most beautiful view in college softball”
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Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium @ University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida
- “Clean and competitive game”
- “Environment/fans were a great experience”
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Marita Hynes Field @ OU Softball Complex, University of Oklahoma in Norman, Oklahoma
- “Fans and atmosphere are unbeatable”
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Tiger Park @ Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana
- “Amenities are all at their fields”
- “The field/stadium design”
- “The atmosphere”
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Rhoads Stadium @ University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, Alabama
- “Rivalry between Auburn & ‘Bama”
- “Fan base was tough and it was always fun”
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Jane Sanders Softball Stadium @ University of Oregon in Eugene, Oregon
- “The atmosphere was insane”
- “The fan base they have is amazing”
- “Their amenities are pretty cool”
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Mike Candrea Field at Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium @ University of Arizona in Tucson, Arizona
- “Staple for softball”
- “Energy of the fans”
- “Dugouts and facilities were so nice and spacious”
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JoAnne Graf Field at the Seminole Softball Complex @ Florida State University in Tallahassee, Florida
- “Vibrant family atmosphere”
- “Positive fan energy”
- “Shape of the seating and there is space in the garage past the outfield”
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USA Hall of Fame Stadium @ the USA Softball Hall of Fame Complex in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
- “Atmosphere/Environment is INSANE!”
- “Competition”
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The Top 10 Stadiums as Voted On by FANS!
10. Husky Stadium @ University of Washington in Seattle, Washington
9. Sherri Parker Lee Stadium @ University of Tennessee in Knoxville, Tennessee
8. Easton Stadium @ UCLA in Los Angeles, California
7. Mike Candrea Field at Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium @ University of Arizona in Tucson, Arizona
6. Rhoads Stadium @ University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, Alabama
5. Jane Sanders Softball Stadium @ University of Oregon in Eugene, Oregon
4. Marita Hynes Field @ OU Softball Complex, University of Oklahoma in Norman, Oklahoma
3. Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium @ University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida
2. JoAnne Graf Field at the Seminole Softball Complex @ Florida State University in Tallahassee, Florida
1. USA Hall of Fame Stadium @ the USA Softball Hall of Fame Complex in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma