Here is a list of The Associated Press’ players to watch this softball season:

JOCELYN ALO, OKLAHOMA

Alo is the reigning USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year. The super senior is on pace to become the NCAA’s career home run leader. She entered this season with 88 homers, seven short of the record held by Oklahoma’s Lauren Chamberlain, and she had gone deep twice in six games this season through Friday. She hit a school-record 34 homers last season and helped the Sooners win the national title. She’s not just a power hitter — she entered this season with a .425 career batting average, the best in school history.

VALERIE CAGLE, CLEMSON

Cagle was the ACC Player of the Year and Freshman of the Year in a conference that included national runner-up Florida State. She had a 28-7 record with five saves and a 1.16 ERA. She led the team with 17 homers, 45 RBIs, a .404 batting average and an .821 slugging percentage. She started 32 games as a pitcher, 16 in the outfield and four as a designated hitter.

JAYDA COLEMAN, OKLAHOMA

Coleman earned first-team National Fastpitch Coaches Association honors as a freshman playing outfield and first base. She hit .444, had 53 RBIs and scored 70 runs. She stole 20 bases in 24 tries. She hit .321 in the Women’s College World Series and hit the team’s final homer of last season, which left Oklahoma’s NCAA single-season record at 161. She was a finalist for NFCA Freshman of the Year.

CHARLA ECHOLS, FLORIDA

Echols was an unanimous NFCA first-team All-American at third base last season as a junior, when she had 15 home runs, 55 RBIs and a .763 slugging percentage. She also was an All-SEC defensive first-team selection. She entered the season as Florida’s all-time leader in slugging and third in batting and on-base percentage.

MIRANDA ELISH, OKLAHOMA STATE

Elish was Softball America’s National Player of the Year for Texas in the shortened 2020 season, when she went 11-3 with a 1.53 ERA in 2020 and hit .370 with a .722 slugging percentage. She sat out last season and now has boosted Oklahoma State’s hopes of winning a national title. Elish started her college career in Oregon, where she was a second-team NFCA All-American in 2018.

MONTANA FOUTS, ALABAMA

Fouts pitched a perfect game against UCLA in the Women’s College World Series last season, the first for a player at the event since 2000. She was the NFCA Pitcher of the Year in 2021. At 6-foot-1, she casts an imposing shadow in the circle. She has twice been on the World Series all-tournament team.

KINZIE HANSEN, OKLAHOMA

Hansen, a catcher, hit .438 with 24 home runs and 66 RBIs with an .893 slugging percentage last season. She caught five runners stealing and allowed just three to steal against her. She was on the World Series all-tournament team.

JANAE JEFFERSON, TEXAS

The infielder entered this season as Texas’ career leader with a .431 batting average and 270 hits. She was a third-team NFCA All-American last season after leading Texas in batting average, on-base percentage and steals. In 2020, she was third nationally in batting (.554) and slugging (.607).

TIARE JENNINGS, OKLAHOMA

Jennings was the 2021 NFCA Division I Freshman of the Year. She set the NCAA single-season record with 92 RBIs and hit .462 with 27 home runs and a program-record 25 doubles.

GABBIE PLAIN, WASHINGTON

One of the nation’s most accomplished players, Plain was one of three finalists for the USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year award last season. She’s been good for a long time — she helped the Huskies to a national runner-up finish in 2018. She played for Australia at the Tokyo Olympics.

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