OU opens WCWS vs. Vols eyeing fifth instantly name

OKLAHOMA CITY — Oklahoma may just lengthen its report run of consecutive nationwide titles to 5 at this 12 months’s Women’s College World Series.

Patty Gasso’s second-seeded Sooners will face No. 7 seed Tennessee of their WCWS opener. Oklahoma beat Alabama on Saturday to win the Norman Super Regional.

Action within the eight-team double-elimination bracket starts Thursday at Devon Park. The ultimate two groups will play for the name in a best-of-three collection beginning June 4.

Gasso, who will trainer the United States on the 2028 Summer Olympics, has led the Sooners to 8 nationwide titles, together with six of the previous 8 and 7 of 10. This was once Oklahoma’s first season within the Southeastern Conference.

In different opening-day matchups, third-seeded Florida will play No. 6 seed Texas, No. 9 seed UCLA meets No. 16 seed Oregon and No. 12 seed Texas Tech will face unseeded Mississippi.

Oklahoma will face Tennessee superstar pitcher Karlyn Pickens, who broke her NCAA report by means of throwing a 79.4 mph pitch all the way through Saturday’s win over Nebraska. Pickens then close out the Cornhuskers 1-0 on Sunday.

Nebraska’s loss manner Oklahoma may not be dealing with former Sooners pitcher Jordy Bahl, who transferred to her home-state Cornhuskers after being named the Most Outstanding Player of the 2023 World Series with Oklahoma.

Although No. 1 general seed Texas A&M was once knocked out in regional play, the SEC has 5 groups within the box — Oklahoma, Tennessee, Florida, Texas and Ole Miss.

Florida beat Georgia in 3 video games to advance. The Gators received nationwide titles in 2014 and 2015 and misplaced to Oklahoma within the semifinals closing 12 months.

Texas has reached the best-of-three championship collection in two of the previous 3 seasons, with each losses coming to Oklahoma. The Longhorns also are of their first season within the SEC.

Texas Tech and Ole Miss are first-time qualifiers.

Texas Tech beat host Florida State in a really perfect regional. Pitcher NiJaree Canady, closing 12 months’s USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year, led Stanford to the nationwide semifinals two instantly years earlier than moving to Tech. She led the Red Raiders to their first Big 12 regular-season and event titles.

Ole Miss is the one unseeded workforce last. The Rebels beat Arizona two times to win the Tucson Regional and beat Arkansas in tremendous regionals.

UCLA and Oregon will meet in a matchup of former Pac-12 groups that moved to the Big Ten this 12 months.

Oregon, the Big Ten regular-season champion, defeated upstart Liberty to advance. Liberty surprised Texas A&M in regional play, however could not get previous the Ducks.

UCLA was once right down to its closing out in opposition to South Carolina in Game 2 earlier than successful, then took Game 3. The Bruins may just upload to their report 12 World Series titles.