We continue our year-end look at the Top 10 Softball Stories of 2024…  Here is the schedule for this list which will run the rest of December and into January 2025, when we’ll publish the No. 1 Softball Story of The Year:

• Top 10 Softball Stories of the Year: #10 – The Alliance to Hold All National Championships In Indy (Dec. 23, 2024)
• Top 10 Softball Stories of the Year: #9 – The State of the Pro Game (Dec. 24, 2024)
• Top 10 Softball Stories of the Year: #8 – The Power of GoFundMe in Softball (Dec. 25, 2024)
• Top 10 Softball Stories of the Year: #7 – The Passing of 2016-17 Gatorade National Player of the Year Taylor Dockins (Dec. 26, 2024)
• Top 10 Softball Stories of the Year: #6 – Oklahoma’s Launch of Love’s Field Raises the Bar For Softball Stadium (Dec. 27, 2024)
• Top 10 Softball Stories of the Year: #5 – Duke Softball Makes The WCWS… In Only Its 7th Year of Play (Dec. 28, 2024)
• Top 10 Softball Stories of the Year: #4 – Sun, Dec. 29, 2024
• Top 10 Softball Stories of the Year: #3 – Mon, Dec. 30, 2024
• Top 10 Softball Stories of the Year: #2 – Tue, Dec. 31, 2024
• Top 10 Softball Stories of the Year: #1 – Wed, Jan. 1, 2025

Also, on Friday, Jan. 3, 2025, Line Drive Softball will list all the Top 10 stories together and then on Saturday, Jan. 4th we’ll will run the “Other Stories Considered” List.

For each topic (story), an article that we ran earlier this year on Line Drive Softball or was published by our friend at D1 Softball, Justin McLeod, the Associate Editor and former workmate of mine.

So how were the Top 10 picked?

We looked at what were considered the most memorable and important stories of the year as they impacted the sport. In researching the Top 10, we talked to those at at all levels of softball, including college and travel ball coaches, other media members and YOU—the fastpitch community.

— Brentt Eads/Line Drive Softball

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#4… Jordyn Bahl Redshirts After Season-Ending Injury (Dec. 29, 2024)

It was the worst possible season opener for the Nebraska Cornhusters.

Ranked No. 17 in the preseason, the softball team fell to Washington 8-0 in the Puerta Vallarta Challenge in Mexico on Feb. 8, 2024, but that was the least of the team’s problems.

Bahl was in the third inning when she collapsed on a pitch with what would be a knee injury, once that would force her to take a redshirt year and miss the rest of the 2024 season.

Here’s a video recap of that game:

Just days later, Bahl announced via social media that her season was over:

In that post, she wrote:

“In game 1 of opening weekend, in Puerto Vallarta, I experienced an injury to my acl that is going to cause me to support the Red Team in a different way than anticipated for the 2024 season. With a heart thankful for God’s plan and timing, I will be red shirting this year, and looking forward to a season of growth and learning from a different point of view. I’m thankful for the support of my family, friends, coaches, and staff. I’m truly blessed to have so many wonderful and loving people in my life.”

“I’m not going anywhere. See you in 2025. GO BIG RED”

His will > my will.
His plan > my plan.
He > I.

Happy little shotgun rider when He is behind the wheel.🤟🏻

Go big red.❤️ pic.twitter.com/4y06KVM5f0

— Jordyn Bahl (@jordybahl) February 13, 2024

So, for those that don’t follow college softball, why was this such a devastating blow to the Cornhusters season?

Simply because Bahl was a two-time All-American and two-time DI National Champion at Oklahoma before she transferred to Nebraska.

Her loss showed as the Big Ten program went 30-23 with a 12-9 conference record including a 1-1 record in the Big Ten tournament to finish the season.

Bahl was highly touted even before starting her college career.

She was selected as the 2020-21 Gatorade National Softball Player of the Year and went 27-0 with a miniscule 0.10 ERA during her three years at Papillion-La Vista (Neb.) High where she, not coincidentally, won three straight state titles and was a four-time All-State honoree.

I also ranked her as the No. 1 recruit in the Class of 2021.

In her two years at Oklahoma—in 2022 and 2023—the athlete compiled a 44-2 record with 397 strikeouts in 288.2 innings. Her winning percentage of .956 and ERA of 0.99 ERA are ranked second in Sooners’ history.

Heading into the season, the right-handed pitcher was ranked as the No. 2 preseason player in the country by D1Softball and was 1 of 50 players named to the USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year watch list.

*** For a complete list of her honors in her career, click HERE.

In August, the title-winning athlete spoke at the 7^th annual Empowering Girls For Life event in Chicago and noted that:

“My biggest battle has been fighting off the expectations of others. My injury, although it sucked, was the best thing to find out who I am as a person—not just a ball player.”

Bahl looks to begin 2025 fully recovered and to lead her home-state program to great success in the New Year.

Strong in her faith off the field, she wrote in her X/Twitter post last February:

His will > my will.

His plan > my plan.

He > I.

Happy little shotgun rider when He is behind the wheel.

God willing–and with the support of many who have followed her accomplished career–Jordy Bahl will ascend back to the top of the softball world and look to further enhance her legend as one of the greatest college pitchers of our day.

— Brentt Eads/Line Drive Softball

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Jordy Bahl to Redshirt 2024 Season Following ACL Injury

Originally published Feb. 13, 2024 on D1 Softball

Nebraska pitcher Jordy Bahl will miss the remainder of the 2024 season and will redshirt, she announced on Instagram on Tuesday.

Bahl was injured in the Huskers’ season opener against Washington at the Puerto Vallarta College Challenge in Mexico. While completing her follow-through after delivering a pitch, Bahl went to the ground and ultimately exited the game.

If ultimately granted a redshirt, Bahl will retain two seasons of eligibility after 2024.

Nebraska head coach Rhonda Revelle issued a statement following Bahl’s announcement:

“Obviously, we are all disappointed to hear the news of Jordy’s season-ending knee injury. We are grateful that Jordy is in excellent care with our medical team and are confident in a full recovery. We fully expect that Jordy will be granted a hardship for this season and be back in the jersey for the 2025 and 2026 seasons.”

“The 2024 season is young, and we are a veteran team with strong leadership that is coming off back-to-back NCAA Regional appearances. We all remain committed to playing an exciting and competitive brand of softball. We look forward to seeing Husker Nation at Bowlin Stadium this season.”

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Nebraska softball pitcher Jordy Bahl out for season with ACL injury

Originally published Feb. 13, 2024 on ESPN.com

LINCOLN, Neb. — Jordy Bahl, the softball pitching star who transferred to Nebraska after winning two straight national championships at Oklahoma, will miss the rest of the season after injuring her knee during the Cornhuskers’ opener last week.

Bahl posted to social media that she injured the ACL in her left knee while delivering a pitch against Washington at an event in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, on Feb. 8.

“With a heart thankful for God’s plan and timing, I will be redshirting this year, and looking forward to a season of growth and learning from a different point of view,” Bahl posted Tuesday.

“I’m thankful for the support of my family, friends, coaches, and staff. I’m truly blessed to have so many wonderful and loving people in my life. I’m not going anywhere. See you in 2025.”

Bahl will apply for a medical hardship for the 2024 season. If granted, she will have two seasons of eligibility remaining.

“Obviously, we are all disappointed to hear the news of Jordy’s season-ending knee injury,” Nebraska coach Rhonda Revelle said in a statement.

“We are grateful that Jordy is in excellent care with our medical team and are confident in a full recovery.”

The two-time All-America pitcher shocked the college softball world last June when — just a week after leading Oklahoma to a third straight national championship and was named Most Outstanding Player in the Women’s College World Series — she announced she would transfer to her home-state school.

Bahl grew up in the Omaha suburb of Papillion and strongly considered going to Nebraska out of high school before picking the powerhouse Sooners. She went 44-2, won two national titles and was Big 12 pitcher of the year and a first-team All-American each year.