Women's softball is played at competitive and recreational levels in both fast pitch and slow pitch. All nine fielding positions used in baseball are also used in softball. The only position that is significantly different in softball is the pitcher, whose throwing-style and delivery is extremely different. While skill level improves as players ascend from high school to college and college to professional, certain team concepts remain constant.
Batting Lineup
Softball uses the same principles as many baseball teams when designing the batting order. Typically, the first batter, called the lead-off hitter, possesses great speed on the basepaths and consistently makes contact with the ball. This batter's main responsibility is getting on base. The second batter should have great bunting ability to move the first batter to the next base. The most talented batter usually bats in the third position. For example, the University of Florida 's 2010-2011 softball team placed Kelsey Bruder in that position for a February contest against Utah. As of 2011, her .669 career slugging percentage and .343 career batting average are both University of Florida records. The fourth and fifth hitter's have a penchant for power-hitting, with the fourth batter being the most powerful. The sixth hitter should also have the skills to make contact and reach first base. The final three hitters in the line-up are typically the weakest batters in the line-up.
Infield and Outfield
Women's softball teams need strong defensive and fielding abilities to be successful. The pitcher cannot strike out every batter, so the fielders need to be ready to back her up when the ball is hit. The first baseman must possess great catching ability and know how to scoop errant throws out of the dirt to retire a batter at first base. The second baseman and shortstop are perhaps the most athletic infielders. The second baseman is often involved in double plays and the shortstop needs great infield range. It is perhaps the most challenging fielding position because of the amount of area covered in front of you, behind you and to both sides. The third baseman needs an incredibly strong arm to retire runners from the other side of the infield. Balls can also be hit at high velocity to the third baseman, so this player must be able to field these successfully. The three outfielders need to learn to catch fly balls and call off their fellow fielders. This means that one outfielder should communicate to her teammates that she is going to make a play on the ball hit into the outfield air. Outfielders need to make strong throws as well.
Pitcher and Catcher
The pitcher is probably the most important position in fast pitch softball. If the team can only manage one run on the scoreboard, the pitcher can almost singlehandedly lead her team to victory by striking out several batters or forcing easy put-outs for her fielders. Although the pitch is delivered underhand, some pitchers can reach great velocities in fast pitch. Jennie Finch, a former elite-level softball player and U.S. national team pitcher, hosted an episode of This Week in Baseball in 2003 and struck out several elite Major League Baseball players from the same distance used in softball. The catcher is the team's primary leader on the field. Her job is to be aware of all that is going on around her. She needs the ability to block errant pitches and to throw out runners attempting to steal a base.
Fun Facts and Records
The University of Alabama finished the 2009-2010 NCAA softball season atop the Division I rankings. The team finished with a 52-11 record and was an impressive 16-2 during road games. The Crimson Tide was winning 43 times after four innings and won 40 of those games. After two straight losses in March, the team went on to win 28 consecutive games. The longest-winning streak in NCAA Division I softball history is 47, achieved by the University of Arizona from April 1996 to March 1997. The NCAA Division I record for most wins in a season is 70, accomplished in 2008 by the University of Florida, which finished with an astonishing 70-5 record.
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