Deep Dive: Nicole Mendes Dishes on the Women's College World Series
With a tighter playing field than ever before, the 2025 Women’s College World Series (WCWS) title is anyone’s for the taking. Two-time NCAA Champion, professional softball player, and broadcaster Nicole Mendes chatted with TOGETHXR about what she’s watching for this tournament — and who has the grit to come out on top.
UCLA BRUINS
UCLA has the highest team batting average and doubles per game of all the remaining squads, making them an offensive threat to keep an eye on this year. The Bruins aren’t new to this — this will be the program’s 33rd visit to the WCWS, setting a new NCAA record.
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Nicole’s Player to Watch: Junior Megan Grant is a team leader with a great personality and a knack for keeping the Bruins’ energy up on the field. Grant was also a Top 25 finalist for USA Player of the Year this season.
TEXAS TECH RED RAIDERS
Texas Tech is one of the most intriguing storylines to watch coming into this year’s World Series. They’re one of the first teams in softball to benefit from game-changing NIL deals after making pitcher NiJaree Canady the first million-dollar college softball player. Building a superteam with transfers and NIL deals has already become a trend in women’s college basketball, but this will be the first test of the strategy on the softball side.
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Nicole’s Player to Watch: Junior outfielder Mihyia Davis is Tech’s lead-off hitter and can cause chaos on the bases.
OKLAHOMA SOONERS
Even as some fans were upset about OU not being the #1 seed, the Sooners remained focused on surviving and advancing. Mendes said the team was dialed in on its own identity and tuned out the outside noise. While the prospect of a five-peat is enticing, the squad is more focused on winning a championship for this group’s first time.
Nicole’s Player to Watch: Sam Landry, the senior grad transfer who’s looking to win her first-ever WCWS title.
TENNESSEE VOLUNTEERS
The Tennessee Vols’ theme for this year? Going all in. Reporter Holly Rowe shared that every Vols player keeps a poker chip in their back pocket during games with their own personal slogans on them. Tennessee leads the NCAA in ERA at 1.72 and defeated a tough Nebraska squad to earn their WCWS berth.
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Nicole’s Player to Watch: Karlyn Pickens, who set the record for fastest pitch in college softball history twice this season, throwing at 79.4 MPH in the Super Regionals.
MENDES MENTIONS 💐
Although their teams are no longer competing for the title, these players still earned kudos from Nicole in our chat.
Audrey Vandagriff
Team: Alabama
Year: Freshman
Position: Outfield
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Freshman speedster Audrey Vandagriff made her presence known during her first season with Alabama. Vandagriff set multiple records, including steals in a single game (five against Western Michigan) and steals in a single season (50). She also earned Freshman of the Week honors and was named to the 2025 First Team All-SEC squad.
Bri Ellis
Team: Arkansas
Year: Senior
Position: Infielder
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We can’t talk about college softball without mentioning Bri Ellis. Recently named the USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year, Ellis stunned teams this season with her offensive prowess. Her name might ring a bell if you saw the incredible highlight where Ellis smacked a grand slam after not being pitched to all game (which also set the single-season record for home runs and RBIs). Talk about Big Bat Energy.
Audrey Vandagriff
Team: Alabama
Year: Freshman
Position: Outfield
ㅤ
Freshman speedster Audrey Vandagriff made her presence known during her first season with Alabama. Vandagriff set multiple records, including steals in a single game (five against Western Michigan) and steals in a single season (50). She also earned Freshman of the Week honors and was named to the 2025 First Team All-SEC squad.
Bri Ellis
Team: Arkansas
Year: Senior
Position: Infielder
ㅤ
We can’t talk about college softball without mentioning Bri Ellis. Recently named the USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year, Ellis stunned teams this season with her offensive prowess. Her name might ring a bell if you saw the incredible highlight where Ellis smacked a grand slam after not being pitched to all game (which also set the single-season record for home runs and RBIs). Talk about Big Bat Energy.
Elena Escobar
Team: Liberty
Year: Senior
Position: Pitcher
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Elena Escobar was Liberty’s heartbeat this postseason, pitching almost every single pitch of the Super Regionals. Despite a nagging Achilles injury, Escobar led the Liberty Flames to an upset over the #1 ranked Texas A&M squad earlier in the tournament. Liberty’s head coach has described Escobar as a fighter, a born leader, and someone who deserves to have the ball in their hands in big moments.
Michaela edenfield
Team: Florida State
Year: Redshirt Senior
Position: Catcher
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Michaela Edenfield is known for her stunning makeup looks under the catcher’s mask — but her game deserves just as much shine as her face card. Over her five years with the Seminoles, Edenfield has a .311 batting average and 53 home runs. The catcher also had a team-high 50 RBIs this season prior to the Super Regionals. Edenfield’s leadership, both in games and off the field, will continue to shine as she will join the AUSL Volts for her first professional softball season when the AUSL begins on June 7.
Elena Escobar
Team: Liberty
Year: Senior
Position: Pitcher
ㅤ
Elena Escobar was Liberty’s heartbeat this postseason, pitching almost every single pitch of the Super Regionals. Despite a nagging Achilles injury, Escobar led the Liberty Flames to an upset over the #1 ranked Texas A&M squad earlier in the tournament. Liberty’s head coach has described Escobar as a fighter, a born leader, and someone who deserves to have the ball in their hands in big moments.
Michaela edenfield
Team: Florida State
Year: Redshirt Senior
Position: Catcher
ㅤ
Michaela Edenfield is known for her stunning makeup looks under the catcher’s mask — but her game deserves just as much shine as her face card. Over her five years with the Seminoles, Edenfield has a .311 batting average and 53 home runs. The catcher also had a team-high 50 RBIs this season prior to the Super Regionals. Edenfield’s leadership, both in games and off the field, will continue to shine as she will join the AUSL Volts for her first professional softball season when the AUSL begins on June 7.
