So here we are: the Women’s College World Series is upon us! We are down to the final eight and all teams are in action today.
We’re excited to bring in another perspective to Extra Inning Softball, our longtime friend, Justin McLeod of Justin’s World of Softball, who will share his thoughts and insights every week with us.
Just hours from the beginning of the final stretch of DI college softball, Justin shares what he thinks are fun things to look for today and moving forward!
As he notes, “Some teams were foregone conclusions; others are real Cinderellas. But there’s no doubt that the eight teams in Oklahoma City this week earned their way to the Women’s College World Series stage.”
Click HERE to follow the official NCAA WCWS Bracket!
Here’s a game-by-game look at each team and some storylines to follow…
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* 12:00 PM EST: #1 Oklahoma vs. James Madison (ESPN)
For the Oklahoma Sooners, a near-perfect regular season led to an even more-perfect postseason. The Sooners were 42-2 during the year and redeemed both of their losses with rebound wins over the same teams.
The Sooners boast a once-in-a-generation offense and are as deep at the plate as any team in history. The postseason road has not been a walk in the park for the Sooners, either, as their regional included Wichita State and Texas A&M and they drew Washington as their Super Regional opponent.
Keep an eye on Shannon Saile, Nicole May, and Giselle Juarez – the Sooner pitching staff – this week, however. A bit lost behind the allure and splendor of the team’s offense, they will need to have effective outings in the circle against some of the nation’s best teams.
The biggest “underdogs,” at least by seeding and expectations, are the James Madison Dukes. The sole mid-major to earn a berth into this year’s WCWS, the Dukes are playing on this stage for the first time in program history.
The Dukes lost just once during the regular season, a conference loss, to Elon, and did not let scheduling difficulties get in the way of a tremendous statistical year. JMU got the Regional 3-seed in Knoxville, made quick work of Tennessee and Liberty twice, and won an impressive Super Regional series game against Missouri in Columbia.
Who else but Odicci Alexander should grab your attention for this JMU squad? The roster is full of stars and role players, but Alexander was in the circle for her team’s wins against Missouri and she is a driving force for the Dukes both in the circle and at the plate.
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* 2:30 PM EST: #5 Oklahoma State vs. Georgia (ESPN)
Oklahoma State and head coach Kenny Gajewski are not far from home this week, and they’ve made appearing in the WCWS a regular habit at this point.
The Cowgirls ended a years-long losing streak to OU during the teams’ regular-season series, but did drop the teams’ faceoff in the Big 12 tournament championship game. Facing off against a by-comparison simple Regional field, the Cowgirls breezed through just in time to matchup against conference foe Texas in the Supers. The Longhorns forced an if necessary game in the series but Oklahoma State proved victorious.
Watch spark-plug Kiley Naomi for the Cowgirls this weekend; she ranks fourth on the team in batting average (.353) and third in home runs (14). She also possesses great speed (15 stolen bases) and has great defensive range.
One of two unseeded teams to reach Oklahoma City, the Georgia Bulldogs made an impressive and somewhat unexpected run in the postseason. Thanks to the NCAA’s predetermined host sites mandate, the Bulldogs hosted a regional where they were not the top seed – that honor, instead, went to the Duke Blue Devils.
The hosting team and the seeded team faced off twice over the weekend, and it was Georgia who came out ahead on both occasions. Facing off against rival Florida in the Supers, the Bulldogs rode the arm of Mary Wilson Avant and some hot bats enroute to a sweep against the Gators and a berth in the Women’s College World Series.
Watch this week; Georgia owes a lot of thanks to her for their trip to OKC and she will be a big part of any success that the Bulldogs have while in town. Avant was also the pitcher who earned the win against Oklahoma earlier in the year. Something to think about…
*** Scroll down to read more on today’s Women’s College World Series matchups!
