Stanford Cardinal softball
{{Infobox college softball team
| name = Stanford Cardinal softball
| CurrentSeason = 2025 Stanford Cardinal softball team
| logo = Stanford Cardinal logo.svg
| logo_size = 100
| founded = 1994
| university = Stanford University
| athletic_director = Bernard Muir
| record = {{winpct|1,088|678|3|record=y}}
| coach = Jessica Allister
| tenure = 8th
| conference = Atlantic Coast Conference
| conference_short = ACC
| location = Stanford, California
| city = Stanford
| state = California
| stateabb = CA
| stadium = Boyd & Jill Smith Family Stadium
| capacity = 1,500
| nickname = Cardinal
| color1 =
| color2 =
| color3 =
| color4 =
| colorfootnotes =
| hex1 =
| hex2 =
| hex3 =
| hex4 =
| national_champion =
| wcws = 2001, 2004, 2023, 2024
| super_regional = 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2022, 2023, 2024
| ncaa_tourneys = 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025
| conference_tournament =
| conference_champion = 2005
}}
The Stanford Cardinal softball team represents Stanford University in NCAA Division I college softball. The team participates in the Atlantic Coast Conference. The Cardinal are currently led by head coach Jessica Allister. The team plays its home games at Boyd & Jill Smith Family Stadium located on the university's campus.{{cite web |title=Boyd & Jill Smith Family Stadium |url=https://gostanford.com/facilities/?id=5 |website=GoStanford.com |publisher=Stanford University |accessdate=3 May 2019}} However, due to renovations, the Cardinal played its 2025 home games at Stanford Stadium, the university's on-campus football venue.{{cite news |url=https://www.espn.com/college-sports/story/_/id/44756876/stanford-softball-draws-ncaa-record-crowd-football-stadium |title=Stanford softball draws NCAA record crowd to football stadium |agency=Associated Press |website=ESPN.com |date=April 19, 2025 |access-date=April 20, 2025}}
History
=Coaching history=
| class="wikitable" | |||
| style="text-align:center;"
{{CollegePrimaryHeader|team=Stanford Cardinal|Years|Coach|Record|%}} | |||
| 1994–1996 | Sandy Pearce | 44–96 | .314 |
| 1997–2014 | John Rittman | 750–351–3 | .681 |
| 2015–2017 | Rachel Hanson | 49–104 | .320 |
| 2018–Present | Jessica Allister | 245–127 | .659 |
Championships
=Conference Championships=
| class="wikitable" | |||
| {{CollegePrimaryHeader|team=Stanford Cardinal|Season|Conference|Record|Head coach}} | |||
| 2005 | Pac-12 Conference | 13–8 | John Rittman |
Coaching staff
| class="wikitable" style="font-size:93%;" | ||
| {{CollegePrimaryHeader|team=Stanford Cardinal|Name|Position coached|Consecutive season at Stanford in current position}} | ||
| Jessica Allister | Head coach | align=center| 5th |
| Jessica Merchant | Associate head coach | align="center" | 5th |
| Tori Nyberg | Assistant coach | align=center| 5th |
| Caleb Feist | Director of operations | align="center" | 1st |
| colspan="4" style="font-size:8pt; text-align:center;"|Reference:{{cite web |title=Stanford Cardinals Softball Coaches |url=https://gostanford.com/coaches.aspx?path=softball |website=GoStanford.com |publisher=Stanford University |accessdate=3 May 2019}} |
Head coaching record
Sources:{{cite web|url=https://content.cdntwrk.com/files/aT00NTc1NzAmdj0xJmlzc3VlTmFtZT0yMDE1LXBhYy0xMi1zb2Z0YmFsbC1tZWRpYS1ndWlkZSZjbWQ9ZCZzaWc9Njg0ZTc2ZGUwMThjY2Q4MTE0YTEyMTYwODMwNjFlYjY|title=Annual Standings|work=2015 Pac-12 Softball Media Guide|publisher=Pac-12|year=2015|pages=55–56}}{{cite web|url=http://gostanford.com/sports/2014/8/15/209609919.aspx|title=Stanford at the NCAA Tournament|publisher=Stanford University|work=GoStanford.com|date=August 15, 2014|accessdate=June 9, 2018}}{{cite web |title=Stanford Softball Year-By-Year Records |url=https://gostanford.com/sports/2014/8/14/209609424.aspx |website=GoStanford.com |publisher=Stanford University |accessdate=3 May 2019}}
{{CBB yearly record start | type = coach | conference = | postseason= }}
{{CBB Yearly Record Subhead
| name = Sandy Pearce
| conference= Independent
| startyear = 1994
| endyear = 1994
}}
{{CBB yearly record entry
| season = 1994
| name = Sandy Pearce
| overall = 5–30
| conference =
| confstanding =
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Subhead
| name = Sandy Pearce
| conference= Pac-10 Conference
| startyear = 1995
| endyear = 1996
}}
{{CBB yearly record entry
| championship =
| season = 1995
| name = Sandy Pearce
| overall = 15–37
| conference = 1–27
| confstanding = 8th
}}
{{CBB yearly record entry
| championship =
| season = 1996
| name = Sandy Pearce
| overall = 24–29
| conference = 7–19
| confstanding = 6th
}}
{{CBB yearly record subtotal
| name = Sandy Pearce
| overall = {{winpct|44|96|record=y}}
| confrecord = {{winpct|8|46|record=y}}
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Subhead
| name = John Rittman
| conference= Pac-10 Conference
| startyear = 1997
| endyear = 2011
}}
{{CBB yearly record entry
| season = 1997
| name = John Rittman
| overall = 31–27–1
| conference = 10–18
| confstanding = 5th
}}
{{CBB yearly record entry
| season = 1998
| name = John Rittman
| overall = 41–18
| conference = 17–11
| confstanding = 3rd
| postseason = NCAA Regional
}}
{{CBB yearly record entry
| season = 1999
| name = John Rittman
| overall = 40–25
| conference = 10–18
| confstanding = T–6th
| postseason = NCAA Regional
}}
{{CBB yearly record entry
| season = 2000
| name = John Rittman
| overall = 45–18
| conference = 9–12
| confstanding = 4th
| postseason = NCAA Regional
}}
{{CBB yearly record entry
| season = 2001
| name = John Rittman
| overall = 54–16–1
| conference = 11–10
| confstanding = T–3rd
| postseason = Women's College World Series (T–3rd)
}}
{{CBB yearly record entry
| season = 2002
| name = John Rittman
| overall = 44–20
| conference = 7–14
| confstanding = T–6th
| postseason = NCAA Regional
}}
{{CBB yearly record entry
| season = 2003
| name = John Rittman
| overall = 41–26
| conference = 7–14
| confstanding = T–6th
| postseason = NCAA Regional
}}
{{CBB yearly record entry
| season = 2004
| name = John Rittman
| overall = 49–19
| conference = 13–8
| confstanding = T–2nd
| postseason = Women's College World Series (T–3rd)
}}
{{CBB yearly record entry
| championship = conference
| season = 2005
| name = John Rittman
| overall = 43–16
| conference = 13–8
| confstanding = T–1st
| postseason = NCAA Super Regional
}}
{{CBB yearly record entry
| championship =
| season = 2006
| name = John Rittman
| overall = 42–18
| conference = 10–11
| confstanding = 6th
| postseason = NCAA Super Regional
}}
{{CBB yearly record entry
| championship =
| season = 2007
| name = John Rittman
| overall = 35–21–1
| conference = 7–13–1
| confstanding = 6th
| postseason = NCAA Regional
}}
{{CBB yearly record entry
| championship =
| season = 2008
| name = John Rittman
| overall = 49–15
| conference = 11–10
| confstanding = 4th
| postseason = NCAA Super Regional
}}
{{CBB yearly record entry
| championship =
| season = 2009
| name = John Rittman
| overall = 48–11
| conference = 13–8
| confstanding = 4th
| postseason = NCAA Super Regional
}}
{{CBB yearly record entry
| championship =
| season = 2010
| name = John Rittman
| overall = 37–19
| conference = 8–13
| confstanding = T–6th
| postseason = NCAA Regional
}}
{{CBB yearly record entry
| championship =
| season = 2011
| name = John Rittman
| overall = 42–17
| conference = 10–11
| confstanding = 5th
| postseason = NCAA Super Regional
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Subhead
| name =John Rittman
| conference=Pac-12 Conference
| startyear =2012
| endyear =2014
}}
{{CBB yearly record entry
| championship =
| season = 2012
| name = John Rittman
| overall = 40–19
| conference = 11–13
| confstanding = 6th
| postseason = NCAA Regional
}}
{{CBB yearly record entry
| championship =
| season = 2013
| name = John Rittman
| overall = 39–21
| conference = 13–11
| confstanding = 4th
| postseason = NCAA Regional
}}
{{CBB yearly record entry
| season = 2014
| name = John Rittman
| overall = 30–25
| conference = 5–19
| confstanding = 8th
}}
{{CBB yearly record subtotal
| name = John Rittman
| overall = {{winpct|750|351|3|record=y}}
| confrecord = {{winpct|185|222|1|record=y}}
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Subhead
| name = Rachel Hanson
| conference= Pac-12 Conference
| startyear = 2015
| endyear = 2017
}}
{{CBB yearly record entry
| championship =
| season = 2015
| name = Rachel Hanson
| overall = 17–37
| conference = 2–22
| confstanding = 9th
}}
{{CBB yearly record entry
| championship =
| season = 2016
| name = Rachel Hanson
| overall = 13–35
| conference = 0–24
| confstanding = 9th
}}
{{CBB yearly record entry
| season = 2017
| name = Rachel Hanson
| overall = 19–32
| conference = 2–22
| confstanding = 9th
}}
{{CBB yearly record subtotal
| name = Rachel Hanson
| overall = {{winpct|49|104|record=y}}
| confrecord = {{winpct|4|68|record=y}}
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Subhead
| name = Jessica Allister
| conference = Pac-12 Conference
| startyear = 2018
| endyear = Present
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
| season = 2018
| name = Jessica Allister
| overall = 24–31
| conference = 3–21
| confstanding = 8th
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| season = 2019
| name = Jessica Allister
| overall = 32–18
| conference = 8–13
| confstanding = 5th
| postseason = NCAA Regional
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| season = 2020
| name = Jessica Allister
| overall = 22–4
| conference = 0–0
| confstanding = 5th
| postseason = Cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| season = 2021
| name = Jessica Allister
| overall = 33–22
| conference = 9–12
| confstanding = 6th
| postseason = NCAA Regional
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| season = 2022
| name = Jessica Allister
| overall = 39–22
| conference = 11–13
| confstanding = 4th
| postseason = NCAA Super Regional
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| season = 2023
| name = Jessica Allister
| overall = 47–15
| conference = 14–10
| confstanding = T–4th
| postseason = Women's College World Series (T–3rd)
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| season = 2024
| name = Jessica Allister
| overall = 50–17
| conference = 17–3
| confstanding = 2nd
| postseason = Women's College World Series (T–3rd)
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Subtotal
| name = Jessica Allister
| overall = {{winpct|247|129|record=y}}
| confrecord = {{winpct|62|62|record=y}}
}}
{{CBB yearly record end
| overall = {{winpct|1,090|680|3|record=y}}
}}
Notable players
=National awards=
;USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year
- Ashley Hansen (2011)
- NiJaree Canady (2024)
;Softball America Pitcher of the Year
- NiJaree Canady (2024)
;NFCA National Pitcher of the Year
- NiJaree Canady (2024)
;NFCA National Freshman of the Year
- NiJaree Canady (2023)
;Softball America Freshman of the Year
- NiJaree Canady (2023)
=Conference awards=
- Jessica Mendoza (2000)
- Ashley Hansen (2011)
- NiJaree Canady (2024)
- Jessica Mendoza (1999)
- Ashley Hansen (2009)
- Kayla Bonstrom (2013)
;Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year
- Lauren Lappin (2005, 2006)
- Rosey Neill (2008, 2009, 2010)
- Ashley Hansen (2012)
- John Rittman (2001, 2004)
- Jessica Allister (2019)