One of the most fun weekends of the collegiate sports calendar starts on Thursday: the Women’s College World Series. Taking place in Oklahoma City, this year’s tournament will feature longstanding softball powers, outstanding pitchers, and a few hitters who can change the course of the game with one swing. Here’s what you need to know as the race to crown NCAA softball’s best reaches its conclusion.
Who is playing?
After Texas A&M, the No. 1 seed, was knocked out in the regional round, the final eight is led by Oklahoma, the defending champions. The other seven teams are Florida, Texas, Tennessee, Texas Tech, Ole Miss, Oregon and UCLA. With this field, the SEC has five teams, the Big Ten two, and one for the Big 12.
How does the tournament work?
The tournament starts with a classic double-elimination bracket. (.) The double-elimination means that a team can still win the title after a loss, but their road is much tougher. Then, when there are two teams left standing, they will play in a best-of-three series starting on June 4 to decide the national champion. It’s an incredibly tough gauntlet, and it makes Cinderellas a little less likely. But it also ensures good teams aren’t knocked out for one bad game.
NiJaree Canady has starred for Texas Tech, leading the Raiders to their first Women’s College World Series appearance. (AP Photo/Colin E Braley)
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Who is the favorite to win?
With Texas A&M out, it’s Oklahoma. Even if Texas A&M had made it to the WCWS, it still might have been Oklahoma. The Sooners won the last four championships, and they have the ability to hit and hit and hit again. Playing Alabama in the super regional, Oklahoma shut out the Crimson Tide on Friday 3-0, then run-ruled them on Saturday, 13-2. The Sooners rank second in the NCAA in home runs per game, averaging 2.02 in the regular season. With hitters like Gabbie Garcia leading the way, if Oklahoma plays in Oklahoma City as well as they played in their regionals and super regionals, the Sooners will be celebrating their fifth consecutive title.
Can anyone knock Oklahoma off the throne?
The tough thing for the Sooners is that they will be challenged from the second they step on the field. Tennessee, led by Karlyn Pickens, has the lowest earned run average in the country. Their lights-out pitching knocked out Nebraska in the super regional and could cause problems for Oklahoma. A second-round match-up for the Sooners could be a game with Florida. The Gators can hit the long ball, and won the series when the two matched up in the regular season.
Players to watch
Nijaree Canady, Texas Tech: When you tune in to watch Texas Tech play Ole Miss on Thursday night, you’ll likely see Canady in the circle as she leads the NCAA with an ERA of 0.89, or you’ll see her hitting reliably and driving runs in. What you won’t see is how consequential Canady is off the field. After two seasons at Stanford, Canady accepted a million-dollar NIL deal from Texas Tech and transferred. After just one season, she’s led the Red Raiders to the WCWS for the first time in the school’s history.
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Karlyn Pickens, Tennessee: During Tennessee’s super regional games against Nebraska, Pickens was asked again and again to pitch her way out of jams, or strike out hitters like Jordy Bahl. Pickens did it with a steely determination and a fastball that broke records. Seriously — her 79.4 mph pitch against Nebraska in Game 2 of the super regional in NCAA softball history.
Savannah Pola, UCLA: The Bruins had a thrilling run to the WCWS, and Pola is a big reason they’re heading to Oklahoma City instead of cleaning out their lockers. They lost their first game to South Carolina in the Super Regional, then won by walk-off in the second game. That momentum carried through as UCLA shut out the Gamecocks for a 5-0 win. The Bruins knew they could count on Pola’s three hits in that last game, as she’s hitting .440 over the season.
How do I watch the Women’s College World Series?
The games will air on the ABC family of networks, with most of the games on ESPN. The fun starts on Thursday at noon ET with Florida vs. Texas.
