What: 2025 Super Regional
Who: Liberty, #16 Oregon
Where: Jane Sanders Stadium – Eugene, Oregon
When: 

  • Game 1: Friday, May 23, 10 p.m., ESPNU
  • Game 2: Saturday, May 24, 7 p.m., ESPN or ESPN2
  • Game 3 (if necessary): Sunday, May 25, TBD

A very unusual postseason rivalry has blossomed between Liberty and Oregon over the past 17 months. Granted, calling it a rivalry is a bit of a reach as the Flames have not been competitive in the previous meetings. The Ducks defeated the Flames, 45-6, in the 2024 Fiesta Bowl on New Year’s Day. Just a couple months ago in March, Oregon beat Liberty, 81-52, in the first round of the men’s NCAA Tournament. Now, the two teams meet in softball’s Super Regionals with a trip to Oklahoma City and the Women’s College World Series awaiting the winner.

Liberty Lady Flames

  • RPI: 26
  • Record: 50-13 (23-3 CUSA)
  • Team average: .332
  • Team ERA: 2.45
  • Fielding percentage: .965
  • Offense: 6.41 runs/game
  • Defense: 2.97 runs/game

Top Pitchers

  • Elena Escobar (25-3, 2.43 ERA, 26 starts)
  • Kaylan Yoder (9-5, 2.51 ERA, 16 starts)

Top Hitters

  • KK Madrey (.412 avg, 30 RBI, 50 SB)
  • Rachel Roupe (.392 avg, 1.364 OPS, 73 RBI, 23 HR)
  • Paige Doerr (.348 avg, .858 OPS, 17 BB)
  • Savannah Woodard (.346 avg, .984 OPS, 45 RBI, 10 HR)

Scouting Liberty

Owning back-to-back Conference USA regular season and tournament titles, Dot Richardson’s Lady Flames are proven winners. In her 12th year at the helm, Liberty has defeated four NCAA Tournament teams this year during the regular season, including No. 15 overall seed Alabama, before taking two of three games against No. 1 Texas A&M. In 2024, Liberty was one out away from taking a 2-1 game against No. 11 seed Georgia when a pair of hits from the Bulldogs spoiled their chance of playing in the program’s first-ever super regional.
Liberty features this year’s CUSA Player of the Year (Rachel Roupe), Pitcher of the Year (Elena Escobar), Newcomer of the Year (Savanah Whatley), and Coach of the Year (Dot Richardson).

The Lady Flames are led by right-handed hurler Elena Escobar, who threw over 400 pitches in the Regionals while starting each game for the Flames. She was named the 2025 CUSA Tournament MVP after going 3-0 with a 0.33 ERA and two shutouts in the conference tournament, logging 341 pitches over the three-day tournament. She has been a warrior while fighting through knee and Achilles injuries much of the season. Kaylan Yoder has grown into her role as Liberty’s second reliable arm and also recorded the final five outs of the Game 7 Regional clinching win against Texas A&M, while Paige Bachman is a veteran and will likely be called on at some point this weekend.

Offensively, seven of Liberty’s nine regular starters bat .300 or better. KK Madrey hits .412 with a CUSA-leading 50 stolen bases. Roupe is one of 18 DI players to hit over 20 home runs this year, becoming the program’s single season home run king following her three blasts on Sunday. She also earned second-team All-American honors earlier this week. Oregon State transfers Paige Doerr and Savanah Whatley provide offensive punch while Savannah Woodard has thrived in the leadoff spot. Brynn McManus provides a power bat. Whatley did have to leave the Regional Final game Sunday night at Texas A&M due to an injury and did not return while the Flames’ starting first baseman all season Brooke Roberts missed the Regionals and is not expected to play this weekend either.

#16 Oregon Ducks

  • RPI: 17
  • Record: 51-8 (19-3 Big Ten)
  • Team average: .351
  • Team ERA: 2.44
  • Fielding percentage: .981
  • Offense: 7.89 runs/game
  • Defense: 2.57 runs/game

Top Pitchers

  • Elise Sokolsky (17-4, 1.96 ERA, 20 starts)
  • Lyndsey Grein (28-2, 2.15 ERA, 25 starts)

Top Hitters

  • Kedre Luschar (.453 avg, 1.228 OPS, 59 RBI, 7 HR)
  • Kai Luschar (.412 avg, .939 OPS, .511 OBP)
  • Rylee McCoy (.396 avg, 1.337 OPS, 58 RBI, 19 HR)
  • Paige Sinicki (.372 avg, 1.106 OPS, 46 RBI, 7 HR)

Scouting Oregon

Behind seventh-year head coach Melyssa Lombardi, the Ducks have reached their second Super Regional in three years. They put together their best season under Lombardi as they continue to strive to get back to the level they were under previous head coach Mike White who helped guide the Ducks to five Women’s College World Series appearances in seven years.

They battled back in the Regionals from a 14-1 loss to Stanford in Game 3 Saturday, winning two Sunday over the Cardinal to get back to the Supers. In the win or go home Game 7, the Ducks’ Dezianna Patmon blasted a walk-off home run in the bottom of the seventh for the victory. Freshman superstar Rylee McCoy exited that Game 7 after taking a line drive to the face, forcing her to leave the game and not return. Her status for this week is unknown currently as Oregon prepares to host their first Super Regional under Lombardi. McCoy is one of the top freshmen in the country and has been named a NFCA Freshman of the Year finalist.

The Luschar sisters, Kedre and Kai, hit at the top of the lineup for Oregon and they set the table for the rest of the hitters. They are a menace to opposing teams, always finding ways to get on base and are always threats to steal. Kai holds Oregon records for steals in a game (4), season (58), and career (106). If McCoy is able to go, she leads the team in home runs and RBI as she feasts behind the Luschars. Stefini Ma’ake, Katie Flannery, and Patmon all have double digit home runs on the season.

Lyndsey Grein is in her first season at Oregon after transferring from Virginia Tech, and she has taken a huge stride with the Ducks. After going 22-11 with a 3.69 ERA in two seasons with the Hokies, Grein has amassed an eye-catching 28-2 record with a 2.15 ERA. She has 212 strikeouts in 164 innings pitched while issuing 63 walks. Elise Sokolsky is the other part of the 1-2 punch Oregon features with their pitching staff. She has put together the best of her three seasons at Oregon in the circle this year, with a 17-4 record and an ERA below 2.