On Sunday, the Stanford Cardinal softball team (43-13, 17-7 Pac-12) earned the No. 8 seed in the NCAA Division I Softball Championship, paving way for a potential title run for the second-straight year. The Cardinal will face off against the unseeded Saint Mary’s (30-22) in their first Regionals matchup at the Boyd & Jill Smith Family Stadium on May 17.

Star sophomore pitcher NiJaree Canady, the Pac-12 Pitcher of the Year, will likely pitch in the Cardinal’s first game of the regional. 

Last season, the Cardinal came close to bringing home the first NCAA championship in program history, losing to the eventual champions Oklahoma in the Women’s College World Series bracket play finals. 

With the addition of freshmen Ava Gall and Jade Berry, along with transfer infielder Taryn Kern, the Cardinal have posted a successful 42-12 season while securing 17 wins in conference play, tied for the program record. 

The Cardinal look to bounce back from their Pac-12 tournament semi-finals loss to Utah this past week, as they make preparations for their NCAA tournament opener this Friday.