OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Top seed Oklahoma and 2019 national champion UCLA highlight the Women’s College World Series field.
Last year’s event was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2019, UCLA defeated Oklahoma in the best-of-three championship series to claim its 13th national title and 12th NCAA championship.
USA Softball Hall of Fame Stadium in Oklahoma City has been expanded to a capacity of 13,000 this year — an increase of 4,000. This year’s double-elimination bracket action begins Thursday and the championship series will start June 7.
Oklahoma will open against James Madison on Thursday. The Sooners won national titles in 2000, 2013, 2016 and 2017 and were runners-up in 2012 and 2019. James Madison qualified for the first time after topping Missouri twice in a best-of-three super regionals.
The Oklahoma-James Madison winner will play either No. 5 seed Oklahoma State or Georgia on Friday. If Oklahoma and Oklahoma State win their openers, the rivals would face off in a World Series game for the second time. Last time, Oklahoma defeated Oklahoma State 6-1 in a winner’s bracket game in 2019.
Oklahoma State advanced to the WCWS by defeating fellow Big 12 member Texas twice in the super regionals.
UCLA is on the other half of the bracket. The Bruins, who feature two-time USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year Rachel Garcia, will open against No. 10 seed Florida State. The winner will face No. 3 seed Alabama or No. 11 seed Arizona on Friday.
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1of6Oklahoma's Giselle Juarez (45), Jocelyn Alo (78), Lynnsie Elam (22) and Nicole Mendes (11) carry a pad from the outfield wall after winning the second game against Washington in an NCAA college softball tournament super regional in Norman, Okla., Saturday, May 29, 2021. (Bryan Terry/The Oklahoman via AP)Bryan Terry/APShow MoreShow Less2of6Oklahoma's Nicole Mendes (11) and Jayda Coleman (24) celebrate after Mendes caught the ball for the final out in Oklahoma's win over Washington in the second game of an NCAA college softball tournament super regional in Norman, Okla., Saturday, May 29, 2021. Oklahoma won 9-1 to advance to the Women's College World Series. (Bryan Terry/The Oklahoman via AP)Bryan Terry/APShow MoreShow Less3of64of6Starting pitcher Megan Faraimo of UCLA Bruins reacts after getting the final out of the game in the seventh inning to defeat Virginia Tech 2-0 on a one hitter to win game two of the NCAA Softball Super Regional Game on Easton Field on the campus of UCLA in Westwood on Friday, May 28, 2021. (Keith Birmingham/The Orange County Register via AP)Keith Birmingham/APShow MoreShow Less5of6Starting pitcher Megan Faraimo of UCLA Bruins fields a ball and throws out Jayme Bailey of Virginia Tech at first base in the fourth inning of game two of the NCAA Softball Super Regional Game on Easton Field on the campus of UCLA in Westwood on Friday, May 28, 2021. (Keith Birmingham/The Orange County Register via AP)Keith Birmingham/APShow MoreShow Less6of6
