1. Juliana “Goose” Hutchens
Rated the top prospect in the nation by Softball America, Juliana “Goose” Hutchens, a Wagoner, Oklahoma native, has recently re-classified to the class of 2026 and will be joining the Oklahoma Sooners this fall. Hutchens’ resume is nothing but impressive; in 2025, Hutchens competed with Team USA in the WBSC U-18 World Cup Finals where she hit .800 with two home runs, 8 runs batted in, and 7 runs scored. She earned three tournament awards during her time with USA Softball including Leading Hitter, Most Runs Batted in, and Most Home Runs. At her high school, Hutchens played third base, catcher, and shortstop and tied the state record her sophomore year with 23 home runs, batting .656 with 45 RBIs and 70 runs in 36 games. In 2021, Hutchens was a member of the Oklahoma team that went on to win the Little League Softball World Series.
For the Sooners, Goose Hutchens is another piece of the legendary foundation the program has built over the years. Their history includes eight national championships, four of which were won consecutively from 2021-24, and the extraordinary Love’s Field, the country’s premier softball facility that continues to be a major draw for the nation’s top talent year after year. Hutchens will be given the chance to show off her skills in the non-conference slate which could earn her a spot on the Sooners’ starting lineup as the designated hitter. Defensively, it’s believed that Hutchens will start as a backup for superstar catcher Kendall Wells, but her utility experience won’t go underappreciated by head coach Patty Gasso.
2. Katie Stewart
Junior Katie Stewart has been turning heads since she joined the Texas Longhorns roster in 2024. The Frankfort, Illinois native ended her sophomore season with the Longhorns’ second consecutive Women’s College World Series Championship and secured a place on the WCWS All-Tournament Team. She was one of three players to start in all 68 games for Texas with 197 plate appearances where she recorded career bests in batting average with a .381 and slugging percentage (.711). She logged 75 hits, 54 runs, 17 home runs, 80 RBIs, and 140 total bases over both non-conference and conference games. On defense, predominantly playing first base, she ended the season with a .958 fielding percentage with 142 putouts and 41 assists.
Stewart collected numerous accolades throughout the season, including SEC Player of the Week, Softball America Star of the Week, Softball American Preseason Second Team All-American, Softball American Preseason Top 100 Ranking (No. 27), ranked no. 4 for D1Softball Preseason First Base Ranking, made the All-Preseason Team and the All-SEC Second Team.
3. Teagan Kavan
Junior right-handed pitcher Teagan Kavan, another Longhorn, has proven that she is nothing less than a superstar. Last season, she was a member of the Women’s College World Series Championship team and was voted Most Outstanding Player in the WCWS. She made the NFCA Second Team All-American, the NFCA All-Central First Team, the All-SEC First Team, WCWS All-Tournament Team, and was USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year Top 25 Finalist. She was named SEC Pitcher of the Week three times, taking the circle in 43 games and a total of 207 innings pitched. She held up a 2.16 ERA, a team-best, with 5-4 shutouts and 230 strikeouts against 788 hitters. Kavan earned 14 conference starts with a 12-3 record with two saves and two shutouts. She earned 6 career-wins at the WCWS, the most by a Longhorn athlete in program history. During the 2024 season, she became the first freshman in Texas history to throw a complete game shutout in her WCWS debut, helping lead the Longhorns to their first national title in program history.
Kavan leads pitching camps for young girls to help them work on proper mechanics, spin, speed, and location while building their confidence and sharpening their softball knowledge. With three extraordinary years under her belt, Kavan still has time to show up and show out like only she can at Texas.
4. Kendall Wells
One of the Oklahoma Sooners’ newest additions, Kendall Wells, is already making waves after an incredible freshman season. In 2026, she was named NFCA Freshman of the Year, Diamond/NFCA Catcher of the Year, and SEC Freshman of the Year. She ended the season with several accolades, including USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year Top 10 Finalist, a Johnny Bench Award, First Team All-SEC, and NFCA First Team All-Midwest Region. Her 39 home runs this season set the SEC, Oklahoma, and NCAA single-season freshman home run record. She batted a .358 average with 70 runs, 64 hits, three doubles, 39 homers, and 88 RBIs. Behind the plate, she only allowed three stolen bases across her 50 starts. She was named D1 Softball National Player of the Week and Softball America Freshman of the Week both in the week of February 24th. In April, she was named D1 Softball Player of the Week and SEC Player of the Week and tied the NCAA single-season freshman home run record with her 30th in just 40 games played.
Before her record-breaking start with the Sooners, Wells was a star in her home state of Georgia. She produced 127 hits, 55 home runs, 184 RBIs, 148 walks, 162 runs scored, and 62 stolen bases. She was a 2024 Gatorade Georgia Player of the Year finalist while earning a spot on the PGF Futures All-American team in the same year. She tied the Georgia home run record as a sophomore in high school with 24 and was named to the 2023 GACA Juniors All-Star Game and won the home run derby with a record 49 homers. She was ranked as the top catcher in her class and No. 4 overall player.
5. Lilly “Goose” Goodwin
Lilly “Goose” Goodwin, another one of the top prospects in the class of 2026, is a three-time State Champion Softball Pitcher, a two-time Arizona Gatorade Player of the Year winner, a 2025 PGF National Champion, and was a member of the 2025 USA World Cup U-18 Championship team. Boasting a 1.24 ERA in her senior season, Goodwin has committed to pitch for the Northwestern Wildcats next season. She adds immense power and talent to the Wildcats’ roster after pitching 445 total innings in her high school career, with a total ERA of only 0.52 and only allowing 66 runs, 33 of them earned, and only 2 losses. She pitched over 900 strikeouts while simultaneously batting at a .610 avg. With the USA U-18 Softball team, she pitched 7 innings with 10 Ks and only 2 earned runs, earning her an ERA of 2.
In an interview with USA Today, Goodwin shares that she’s excited to become a Wildcat after committing two years ago. She says it feels like the right choice and is looking forward to the personal feel and taking advantage of Northwestern’s brand-new facilities. The community aspect of NU’s program was the big draw for her.
6. Jocelyn Briski
It’s no secret that the SEC dominates NCAA Softball and the University of Alabama has always been a powerhouse. One of the standouts of the Crimson Tide’s program is Jocelyn Briski, a right-handed pitcher who has earned numerous accolades over her three years with Alabama. She was named 2026 SEC Pitcher of the Year and was a Top 10 Finalist for 2026’s USA Softball Player of the Year. During the Tide’s run in the Women’s College World Series, she earned a spot on the 2026 WCWS All-Tournament Team and the SEC All-Tournament Team. Briski was voted SEC Pitcher of the Week three times in 2026 and voted D1 Softball Pitcher of the Week and Softball America Star Pitcher of the Week in the same week. Last season, she made 37 appearances, including 29 starts and boasted a 1.41 ERA with 24 wins and only 4 losses. On May 16, 2026, Briski threw a one-hit shutout against Belmont that helped Alabama win 3-0 and reach the regional championship game, while earning her 14th complete game of the season.
Briski has become one of the leading arms in college softball and is known for her power in the circle while maintaining a calm presence under pressure. She has continued to rocket to stardom during her time with the Tide both on the mound and off.