Softball’s Surge: From Record Crowds in Oklahoma City to New Pro Opportunities
Growth on the Biggest Stage
Softball and women’s sports in general have finally started to take their rightful pace of growth in popularity and attention over the last several years. It is something that is long overdue, and while there is still much more progress to be made, I am glad the game is swinging in the right direction.
Yesterday in my conversation with Duke softball’s Head Coach Marissa Young and her daughter and player, Layla Lamar, I wanted to hear their thoughts. Thoughts on how far the game has come, and especially from Coach Young, what she has seen over time.
Young is no stranger to success. A three time All-American at the University of Michigan, she was the 2002 Big Ten Pitcher of the Year and the 2003 Big Ten Player of the Year. A dominant two way threat, she finished her career with an ERA of 1.13, 88 wins, and 928 strikeouts in the circle, while adding a .287 batting average, 22 home runs, and 133 RBIs at the plate.
During that time, she also played on the biggest stage, the Women’s College World Series. The atmosphere left a lasting impression, and she has been able to see that same stage grow even bigger as the years have passed.
“I was at the Women’s College World Series as a player and that environment was something I’ll never forget, but it has grown into something even bigger and better,” said Young. “So it has been great for me to experience that as both a player and now a coach.”
Young competed at the WCWS multiple times, last appearing in 2002, a year when the average session attendance was 4,571 and total attendance came in at 32,000 according to NCAA.org. Since then, Devon Park as it is now known has undergone renovations to add more seating and expand the fan experience. In 2025, the WCWS set a new record with 119,778 total attendees over ten days, an average of 11,978 per session.
The television numbers tell the same story. ESPN reported an average of 1.3 million viewers per game across its platforms this past summer, making it the most watched Women’s College World Series ever.
Game 3 of the championship series, Texas’ 10-4 win over Texas Tech for its first national title, was ESPN’s most watched NCAA softball game ever with 2.4 million viewers.
Lamar on the Next Generation
That steady climb in numbers matches what players like Layla Lamar feel in real time.
“I think that it is also really cool to see that the people older than us or like the generations above us, they are not stopping,” said Lamar. “Like they do not think that is enough.”
“You see the pro leagues wanting more. Just how the AU eventually turning to the AUSL. They added that. So it is just really cool to see that we continue to want more and that it is continuing to become a thing.”
“The more that people are investing in not just softball, but also women’s sports. It is proving itself right and it continues just to be something that is so cool to see that women are able to do the thing just as well as anybody else.”
Pro Softball is Surging
Softball and the ability to play and capitalize definitely does not have to end at the college level. There are professional teams and leagues available beyond graduation, and more players are seizing those opportunities.
Jala Wright, who is now Coach Young’s assistant and a former Duke standout, suits up as a professional for the Atlanta Smoke. Ana Gold just captured AUSL Rookie of the Year with the Blaze, and Caroline Jacobsen, another former Duke Blue Devil, helped lead the Talons to the first ever AUSL Championship. Pro softball is growing, and the future looks brighter than ever.
“Just, you know, to go from Ana Gold being one of the most decorated players in program history here, seeing how shocked she was to get her golden ticket here on our field that night to now being in that environment and being Rookie of the Year. She is just absolutely killing it,” said Young.
“And people like Caroline Jacobsen, again, who continues to get better year after year. It is special. I am glad to see them continuing to have opportunities to play when they are peaking. Most of the women will peak after college. And so the fact that they have the opportunity to keep playing as a pro, that means a lot.”
“For us, we are still a new program. I feel like such a proud mama bear. They are representing a brand new program and putting Duke softball on the map at a very high level.”
Opportunities Beyond the Diamond
The game’s reach is not confined to the conventional diamond. The MLB backed Home Run Derby X has been gaining traction every summer since 2022, showcasing softball stars alongside baseball greats in a high energy coed format. Duke’s own Jessica Oakland took part in the event last month, swinging alongside MLB legend Manny Ramirez and Duke baseball’s Tyler Albright.
“Then you have got things like Jessica Oakland hitting in the Major League Home Run Derby,” said Young. “There are just endless opportunities for them. It is great to see their hard work paying off and doors continue to open. Softball and sports do not have to end for them at the college level.”
Standing Up for the Game
You may think it is a redundant topic that most do not want to hear or talk about, but I will make it my duty to always stand up for the women who play this game and for women’s sports in general. The rise in popularity will only continue, and I am here for it. They deserve it.
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