The eight-team field is set for the Women’s College World Series, and it includes top-seeded Oklahoma yet again. Here’s what you need to know:
- The Sooners are chasing their third straight national title.
- Oklahoma set an NCAA record with its 48th straight win Saturday against Clemson.
- The other teams in the field are No. 3 Florida State, No. 4 Tennessee, No. 5 Alabama, No. 6 Oklahoma State, No. 7 Washington, No. 9 Stanford and No. 15 Utah.
- The WCWS begins play at noon on Thursday.
Just how dominant are the Sooners?
Oklahoma is 56-1 entering play in Oklahoma City, and its lone loss of the season came in a 4-3 decision to Baylor on Feb. 19. Oklahoma is 5-0 in the NCAA Tournament, winning its first four games by a combined score of 47-5 before beating Clemson 8-7 in nine innings Saturday to advance.
The Sooners have five players in their lineup (Tiare Jennings, Jayda Coleman, Kinzie Hansen, Alyssa Brito and Haley Lee) all batting better than .400 with double-digit home runs. — Shirley
Who can beat the Sooners?
The easy answer is no one. But let’s take a look at No. 3 Florida State. The Seminoles were upset last year at home in the regional round, and that has driven them all season.
They are 55-9 and 5-1 in the NCAA Tournament. Kathryn Sandercock threw a perfect game in the regional championship to lead the Seminoles to the Super Regionals and they swept Georgia to get to Oklahoma City. — Shirley
How sweep it is
Six teams swept their way through the Super Regionals: Oklahoma, Florida State, Tennessee, Oklahoma State, Washington and Stanford. The most surprising of the bunch? The Cowgirls, who blew out Oregon by a combined score of 17-1. Oklahoma State entered the NCAA Tournament having lost 11 of 13 games, and the Cowgirls haven’t dropped a game yet. They’re back in the WCWS for the fourth consecutive season.
One of the best and most emotional moments of the weekend came in Seattle as Washington clinched its first trip to Oklahoma City since 2019. Freshman pitcher Ruby Moylan broke down after throwing the final strike. — Auerbach
When are the games?
(All times ET)
Thursday, June 1
Game 1: 12 p.m.
Game 2: 2:30 p.m.
Game 3: 7 p.m.
Game 4: 9:30 p.m.
Friday, June 2
Game 5: 7 p.m.
Game 6: 9:30 p.m.
Saturday, June 3
Game 7: 3 p.m.
Game 8: 7 p.m.
Sunday, June 4
Game 9: 3 p.m.
Game 10: 7 p.m.
Monday, June 5
Game 11: 12 p.m.
Game 12 (if necessary): 2:30 p.m.
Game 13: 7 p.m.
Game 14 (if necessary): 9:30 p.m.
Wednesday, June 7
Championship, Game 1: 8 p.m.
Thursday, June 8
Championship, Game 2: 7:30 p.m.
Friday, June 9
Championship, Game 3 (if necessary): 8 p.m.
Related reading
Women’s College World Series 2023 Live updates, results
(Photo: Courtesy of Joshua R. Gateley / Oklahoma athletics)
