League City Native Helps KU Reach NCAAs

Kansas softball is back in the NCAA Tournament, and that matters in a way that goes beyond one bracket reveal. The Jayhawks had not made the field since 2015. Now they are headed to Norman for a regional opener against Michigan on Friday, May 15. For people in League City, Texas, there is a very direct local hook here too — junior first baseman Anna Soles is part of the group that helped push Kansas over the line. ### What changed this week? The big change came Sunday, May 10, when Kansas heard its name on the NCAA selection show. KU landed in the Norman Regional with Oklahoma, Michigan and Binghamton, and the Jayhawks open against Michigan at 5 p.m. CT at Love’s Field. That ends the longest dry spell this program has had in a decade. (kuathletics.com) ### Why is this a big deal for Kansas? Because this is not some random at-large bid tacked onto a mediocre year. Kansas went 35-19 overall and 14-10 in Big 12 play, which gave the program its most wins since 2015. The Jayhawks also reached the Big 12 tournament semifinal after rallying past UCF 6-5 before running into Texas Tech. This team forced its way back into relevance. (kuathletics.com) ### Where does Anna Soles fit in? Soles is one of the steady veterans in the middle of that turnaround. Kansas lists her as a junior from League City, Texas, and the school’s postseason awards release calls her a junior first baseman. She made the All-Big 12 first team, which is a clean sign that coaches around the league saw her as one of the conference’s best everyday players. (kuathletics.com) ### Was she really central to the run? Yes — not because she did everything, but because she kept showing up in big spots. Late in April, she hit a two-run walk-off homer in the eighth inning to beat Iowa State 4-2 and secure a series win on senior day. That is the kind of swing people remember, but it also captures her role more broadly — reliable bat, pressure moment, game changes. (kuathletics.com) ### How good was Kansas offensively? Basically, this was the best power-hitting Kansas team in years. KU set program records for home runs, runs, doubles and RBIs this season. In Big 12 overall team stats, Kansas finished with a .330 batting average, 81 home runs, 94 doubles and 342 RBIs. That is why the tournament bid feels earned rather than lucky. (kuathletics.com) ### What made Soles stand out specifically? The awards tell part of it. Kansas had two first-team All-Big 12 selections this year — freshman Ella Boyer and Soles — and the school noted that it was the first time since 2015 that KU placed multiple players on the league’s first team. So Soles was not just a nice local angle. She was one of the faces of the best Kansas season in a decade. (kuathletics.com) ### What’s the challenge now? Michigan is a tough draw, and Kansas already lost to the Wolverines 4-2 on February 8. Then there is the larger problem — Oklahoma is the host and the No. 3 overall national seed in the regional. So the path is real, but it is steep. Kansas did not get a sentimental bracket. (kuathletics.com) ### Bottom line For Kansas, this is the payoff after years of near-misses. For League City, it is a hometown player helping drive a real postseason breakthrough. And for Soles, the story is simple — she is not just along for KU’s return to the NCAAs, she is one of the reasons it happened. (kuathletics.com)