The act of pitching is an art. This statement may not be rocket science, but it is one that is often reiterated in the postseason when it comesto college softball.Just look at the pitching staffs thatOklahomahas had over the last four seasons withJordy Bahl, Kelly Maxwell and Hope Trautwein, as the Sooners have won a sport-best four consecutive national championships. Sam Landryis the latest to add her name to that list for the Sooners this season, who are making their ninth consecutive trip up Interstate-35 from Norman to Oklahoma City to competein the Women's College World Series. REQUIRED READING:How does WCWS work? Explaining double-elimination format for NCAA softball tournament A leading contributing factor tocollege softballpitchers' ability to paint a canvas, for lack of better words, from the circle has been the continuous evolution and usage of the riseball — one ofseveral strategiesfor pitchers when it comes todelivering a pitch. NCAA softball tournament action continues on Thursday with the start of theWCWSat Devon Park in Oklahoma, where the final eight teams in the 64-team bracket will play for a national championship over the next nine days. Here's what you need to know about what a rise ball is in college softball ahead of the Women's College World Series: REQUIRED READING:How big is a softball? Size, weight for 2025 NCAA softball tournament, WCWS A riseball is one of the more common go-to strikeout pitches in college softball for pitchers. As for what a rise ball exactly is, it is exactly what its name suggests: a late break pitch that has a rise in trajectory as it reaches the batter's box. In other words, the rise of it happens as the batter begins to swing the bat. It's often seen in a two-strike count. Here's a look at Texas Tech star pitcher NiJaree Canady, who leads the country with a 0.89 ERA in her first season with the Red Raiders, throwing a riseball against Florida State in the Tallahassee Super Regional: NIJA. STOMP. 😤#RoadToWCWSx 🎥 ESPN2 /@TexasTechSBpic.twitter.com/W11BDz1CHs — NCAA Softball (@NCAASoftball)May 23, 2025 The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast.Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:What is a riseball? Explaining college softball strikeout pitch
