While the Road to the Women's College World Series was cancelled in March due to the coronavirus pandemic, ESPN still wants to celebrate the softball postseason that would have been.
So, over the next two weeks, we are giving fans the chance to vote to determine ESPN's Greatest All-Time Softball Team, presented by 7Innings Podcast.
We are going position by position, starting with catchers, to determine the greatest all-time team. Voting begins Tuesday and continues through June 6. Each position's poll will remain open for three days before votes are tallied. ESPNU and the ESPN App will air games highlighting players included in that day's voting, culminating with a televised 7Innings reveal show.
Catcher
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ESPN's Beth Mowins, Jen Schroeder and Michele Smith break down which of the eight finalists should make the cut for ESPN's greatest all-time softball team.
The Pac-12 produced five of the eight greatest catchers we have ever seen, but the decision is not easy. Here are the eight finalists, as voting begins Tuesday and lasts for three days.
Gillian Boxx -- California (1992-95)
Boxx helped the 1996 USA Olympic team win the gold medal in Atlanta, but she makes this list because of her accomplishments at Cal. She was a four-time NFCA All-American who hit .369 in her four seasons. Her 274 career hits is good for third in program history.
Leah Braatz -- Arizona (1994-95, 1997-98)
Braatz has the fifth-most home runs in Division I history (85) but is second on the RBIs list with 322. She is one of only four players in Division I history to record 100 RBIs in a season (1998), and she helped the Wildcats win the WCWS in 1994 and 1997.
Stacie Chambers -- Arizona (2008-11)
Chambers suffered a traumatic brain injury that nearly ended her career in 2006 when she fouled a pitch directly off her face. But after a year and a half of therapy, she returned to the diamond and became one of the most prolific power hitters in NCAA softball history. Chambers is right behind Stacey Nuveman in home runs (87) and RBIs (293), hitting .358 with 31 homers and 96 RBIs in 2009.
Aubree Munro -- Florida (2013-16)
Munro wasn't as much of a power hitter as the aforementioned catchers, but she makes this list for her defense and her ability to call games. She committed just four errors in 222 games and finished her Gators career with a .997 fielding percentage. With her behind the plate and pitchers such as Hannah Rogers, Lauren Haeger and Delanie Gourley in the circle, Florida was national champion in 2014 and repeated in 2015.
Stacey Nuveman -- UCLA (1997, 1999, 2001-02)
Nuveman was one of college softball's greatest sluggers. She hit 90 home runs, the third most in Division I history, and had the fifth-most RBIs (299). Nuveman helped UCLA win the 1999 Women's College World Series, and she was a four-time first-team National Fastpitch Coaches Association All-American and a three-time Pac-10 player of the year. Oh, and she holds program records for home runs, RBIs, slugging percentage (.945), on-base percentage (.600) and total bases (653).
Kristen Rivera -- Washington (2002-05)
Rivera set the Huskies' single-season home run record when she slugged 25 in 2003. From there, she won back-to-back Pac-10 player of the year awards. She still holds Washington's program records for home runs (79), slugging percentage (.733) and on-base percentage (.504), and her 233 RBIs ranks second in program history.
Jessica Shults -- Oklahoma (2010-13)
While stars such as Keilani Ricketts and Lauren Chamberlain were bigger names on the Sooners' roster, Shults was one of Oklahoma's most consistent players. Shults was a three-time All-Big 12 selection who hit 61 career home runs and 224 RBIs, both of which rank third in program history. When the Sooners won the 2013 WCWS, Shults led the team with a .758 slugging percentage.
Shelly Stokes -- Fresno State (1987-90)
To say Stokes was perfect behind the plate might not be hyperbole. In 386 chances, she did not make a single error. What's more, Stokes helped the Bulldogs reach the WCWS in all four of her seasons, three times finishing as runner-up to UCLA. She was a second-team All-American in 1990.
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May 26, 2020 at 06:48PM
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Vote to determine ESPN's greatest all-time college softball team - ESPN
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