We continue our year-end look at the Top 10 Softball Stories of 2025…  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:

Click on the links of those previously posted to see what we’ve covered so far!

• Top 10 Softball Stories of the Year: #10 – Tue, Dec. 23, 2025
• Top 10 Softball Stories of the Year: #9 – Wed, Dec. 24, 2025
• Top 10 Softball Stories of the Year: #8 – Thu, Dec. 25, 2025
• Top 10 Softball Stories of the Year: #7 – Fri, Dec. 26, 2025
• Top 10 Softball Stories of the Year: #6 – Sat, Dec. 27, 2025
• Top 10 Softball Stories of the Year: #5 – Sun, Dec. 28, 2025
• Top 10 Softball Stories of the Year: #4 – Mon, Dec. 29, 2025
• Top 10 Softball Stories of the Year: #3 – Tue, Dec. 30, 2025
• Top 10 Softball Stories of the Year: #2 – Wed, Dec. 31, 2025
• Top 10 Softball Stories of the Year: #1 – Thu, Jan. 1, 2025

Also, on Jan. 2, 2026, Line Drive Softball will list all the Top 10 stories in a list and then on Jan. 3^rd 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 is reposted along with any other articles that may be tied into the subject listed that day.

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 in softball, including college and travel ball coaches, other media members and you—the fastpitch community.

— Brentt Eads/Line Drive Softball

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The Top 10 Softball Stories of 2025: #7… 2028 L.A. Olympic News with Change of Coaches & Change of Venue (Dec. 26, 2025)

The 2028 Los Angeles Olympics are two and a half years away, but that doesn’t mean there weren’t some significant softball movements involving the next round of Games.

Let’s first give a brief history of softball in the Olympics first.

The first time fastpitch was included was at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics and every four years – 2000 in Sydney, Australia, 2004 in Athens, Greece and 2008 in Beijing, China— softball was included, but sadly the Games in 2012 (London, England) and 2016 (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) excluded softball.

However, softball returned to the Summer Olympics in 2020 in Tokyo, Japan and was included as “an optional sport” but once again in 2024 (Paris, France) was not part of the Games.

In September of 2017, Los Angeles was announced formally as the host city for the 2028 Games—the third time the So Cal city will have hosted the world-wide event, the other times being in 1932 and 1984.

With softball continuing to grow not just in the U.S., but also internationally, softball was be played in the 2028 Olympics were announced and softball was once again announced as being included.

In the five Olympic Games where softball was played, the United States has captured three Gold medals—in the first three Olympic with the sport: 1996, 2000 and 2004—but since then has finished second to be awarded silver in the next two as Japan won the 2008 and 2020 games.

In total, the U.S. has three Gold medal and two Silver while Japan has earned two Gold, one Silver and one Bronze. The other three teams to have won medals are Australia (one Silver and three Bronze), China (one silver) and Canada (one Bronze).

So who will capture the Gold in 2028? The U.S.—being the host country—would seem to be the favorites, but Japan looks to be strong once again.

In preparation for and heading to the next Olympic Summer Games, the United States did have some significant news…

1. Heather Tarr, the Univ. of Washington head coach who was an Assistant Coach for Team USA in the 202o Olympic Games, stepped down as Head Coach for USA Softball.

2. Patty Gasso, Univ. of Oklahoma Head Coach, was named Team USA Head Coach and will be the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games.

3. It was announced that the venue for softball in the 2028 Games in L.A. will not be in Los Angeles but will be more than 1,300 miles to the East, in Oklahoma City. 

Here’s more on these major developments impacting the coaching and location of the 2028 Los Angeles Games…

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International News: Softball Back in L.A. Olympics (Aug. 11, 2024)

The Paris Olympics have been a ratings hit this summer, but softball has been noticeably missing from the worldwide competition.

That all changes when softball returns to the Olympics in 2028 in Los Angeles. The city previously hosted the Summer Olympics in 1984 and 1932.

“Pleased that softball is in the 2028 Olympics,” said Texas Glory’s Kevin Shelton, who led his 16U team to an Alliance co-national championship last month.

“It definitely helps keep the considerable momentum our sport currently has at all levels. The competition should be great and fun to watch. I hope it continues to be part of the games in 2032.”

“Softball being back in the Olympics in 2028 is great for the sport of softball,” Beverly Bandits coach Bill Conroy said, “but even greater for all the young softball players with aspirations of playing softball at the highest level.”

Actually, the International Olympic Committee is moving softball to USA Softball’s Devon Park in Oklahoma City, the site of the Women’s College World Series and Oklahoma Sooners softball.

“OKC has the best softball venue in the country,” Shelton said. “Playing it there gives us as a country a chance to put our best foot forward, the players the optimum playing experience and fans the maximum opportunity to take the games in, in person. It’s a great choice!”

The United States will become the only nation to host two Olympics softball competitions in 2028. The sport debuted at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.

“I understand the decision to move the games to Oklahoma City because of the history,” Conroy said, “but I was hoping they could have found a venue such as UCLA (in Los Angeles) to keep softball with the other Olympic sports. I assume space availability was the problem. Fantastic to have softball back in Olympics at any venue and OKC has the history and the WCWS behind it.”

— Carlos Arias, Line Drive Media (Follow Carlos on Twitter @los_stuff)

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Olympic News: Baseball and Softball Competition Schedules Confirmed for LA28 Olympic Games (July 14, 2025)

The following Olympic news was released today by the WBSC…

Marking three years to go to the Olympic Games Los Angeles 2028 (LA28), the LA28 Organising Committee has announced the competition format and schedule for baseball and softball.

Both sports will be showcased at iconic venues in the United States as part of the LA28 sports programme.

Softball

The Olympic softball tournament will take place from 23 to 29 July at OKC Softball Park, located in the OKC Zone in Oklahoma City.

Also featuring six teams, the tournament will start with a full round-robin Preliminary Round from 23 to 27 July, with three matches scheduled each day at 09:00, 16:00 and 20:00.

The bronze medal game is set for 28 July at 19:00, followed by the gold medal game at 12:00 on 29 July – which will determine the 6^th Olympic softball champion – one day before the Closing Ceremony of the Olympic Games LA28.

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ICYMI… International News: Softball Back in L.A. Olympics… But Not In Los Angeles! (Jan. 6, 2025)

Question: Where will the 2028 Olympics be played?
Answer: Los Angeles

Follow-Up Question: So L.A. is where softball be played in the 2028 Olympics?
Answer: Nope… not in Los Angeles, but in Oklahoma City (which, for the geographically challenged like me, is just a few miles from L.A. (like 1,327 miles due east!).

While baseball will be played at Dodger Stadium for the 2028 Games, softball will be a bit outside of the Los Angeles city limits.

In case you missed the news or just haven’t been paying attention that closely, softball is in the 2028 Olympics but will be played in Oklahoma City, Okla. at USA Softball’s Devon Park where the Women’s College World Series is held.

Another interesting fact about this is the four-time defending NCAA D1 champs, the Oklahoma Sooners, play at the state-of-the-art Love’s Field which was newly launched this year and was ranked as the No. 6 story in our Top 10 Softball Stories of 2024.

And, in case there would be any reason OU’s Love’s Field would be needed as a back-up, the Norman, Okla. stadium is just 30 minutes south down the I-35 freeway.

— Brentt Eads/Line Drive Softball

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USA Softball News: Head Coach Heather Tarr Steps Down From Team USA (Jan. 30, 2025)

Wednesday evening, USA Softball Head Coach Heather Tarr announced via social media on Wednesday that she was stepping down from her position and role leading the USA Softball Women’s Team to focus on her coaching duties at the Univ. of Washington.

Here’s what was posted by both USA Softball and the Washing Huskies on their respective X/Twitter pages:

In an article by the Seattle Times, it was noted that Tarr became an assistant coach with the national team in 2017 and was promoted to head coach in October 2021.

Part of her social media post via UW read:

“It’s been my greatest honor to serve USA Softball and our country over the past seven years. There have been many incredible moments. For now, I am stepping away as head coach of USA Softball. I want to completely focus on Husky softball and keep my focus on what I have going on here at home.”

The long-time coach led the National Team for three years and worked seven years total with USA Softball.

Most recently she led Team USA to a Silver Medal at the WBSC World Cup and in 2022 captured Gold at the World Games.

In 2020, she was an assistant coach for Team USA which won a Silver Medal at the Tokyo Olympics.

As is noted on her UW bio page:

• Just five years after earning the head coaching job, Tarr brought Washington its first-ever national championship with a storied run to the 2009 WCWS title.
• Tarr and her staff were named the NFCA Coaching Staff of the Year following the 2009 season.
• Tarr is the winningest coach of any sport in Washington history with an 820-313-1 record,
• Her .724 winning percentage is 10th most among active DI softball head coaches following the conclusion of the 2024 season,
• Washington has been ranked in the NFCA Coaches Poll for 246 consecutive weeks,
• Tarr has coached 37 National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) All-Americans,
• Since she has been head coach, the Huskies have earned at least one All-American award in 17 of the 19 seasons the award has been given out.
• Eight times, most recently in 2023, the Huskies have made the Women’s College World Series, making it three straight years as well from 2017 to 2019,
• Washington has made a NCAA postseason in every season under Tarr and holds an 89-43 record in the tournament, including a 15-13 mark in the WCWS,

The Seattle Times article also reported that:

“Tarr has almost a new team to coach this season at UW. The Huskies have just one starter returning from last year’s roster, sophomore Giselle Alvarez, after most of the players eligible to return elected to transfer to other schools.”

— Brentt Eads/Line Drive Softball

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Breaking News: Patty Gasso Named USA Softball Women’s National Team Head Coach (Feb. 3, 2025)

The following information was released earlier today (Monday, Feb. 3, 2025) by USA Softball. 

OKLAHOMA CITY — USA Softball announced today that Patty Gasso has been selected as the head coach for the USA Softball Women’s National Team (WNT).

Selected by members of the USA Softball Selection Review Panel, Gasso will lead the Red, White and Blue through the 2025-2028 quadrennial cycle, which includes the LA28 Olympic Games.

Gasso’s appointment marks a historic moment for the USA Softball National Teams program, as she becomes the seventh female head coach of the Women’s National Team (WNT).

Previous female head coaches include Rosalie Sorenson (1970), Marge Ricker (1982), Carol Spanks (1987), Shirley Topley (1991), Margie Wright (1998), and Heather Tarr (2021).

“USA Softball is proud to announce that Coach Gasso will lead our Women’s National Team for the 2025-2028 quad,” said Craig Cress, Chief Executive Officer of USA Softball.

“Throughout her career, Coach Gasso has made a significant impact on the softball community and has greatly contributed to the development of the sport. We are confident that her skills, knowledge, and experience will enhance our program and we look forward to supporting Coach Gasso and the Women’s National Team as they strive to represent the U.S. with pride on the highest stage in the coming years.”

Gasso, head coach at the University of Oklahoma, has been involved with the USA Softball Women’s National Team (WNT) program since 2018, as she led the U.S. Women’s Elite Team during the World Cup of Softball.

Additionally, Gasso has participated in various USA Softball training camps and selection trials, further demonstrating her commitment to fostering excellence within the sport and contributing to the development of aspiring athletes.

“It is truly a remarkable moment in my career and a dream come true to be asked to coach Team USA,” said Gasso. “This is the highest honor I could ever receive, and I’m humbled by and thankful for the confidence USA Softball has in me. I have an intense passion to make Team USA the best it can be to help win the gold medal in 2028.”

An esteemed NFCA Hall of Fame head coach, Gasso is entering her 31st season at the helm of Oklahoma Softball. She recently concluded a remarkable run at the 2024 Women’s College World Series (WCWS), where the Sooners achieved their fourth consecutive National Championship, a historic milestone that distinguishes them as the only softball program in history to accomplish this feat.

In her impressive 30-year tenure, Coach Gasso has secured eight NCAA Division I National Championships and has led her teams to 17 appearances in the WCWS. She has consistently guided her teams to postseason play each season, boasting an outstanding career record of 1,676 wins, 411 losses, and 3 ties.

Following the 2024 NCAA conference realignment, Coach Gasso completed her successful tenure in the Big 12 as the league’s all-time winningest coach (men and women’s), having claimed 15 regular season conference titles and nine postseason league crowns.

For more information on the USA Softball Women’s National Team program, visit USASoftball.com.