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The countdown clock has just hours to go until the 2019 edition of the Women’s College World Series kicks off in Oklahoma City.
There will be no repeat champion this season, thanks to Florida State’s elimination in the Super Regional round, though perennial contenders UCLA, Washington, and Oklahoma headline the group that will vie for the national championship trophy.
You can follow the 2019 WCWS at the official NCAA site by clicking HERE. Be sure to check Extra Inning Softball frequently as we’ll have reports from Oklahoma City courtesy of our College Correspondent Justin McLeod!
It’ll be a fun ride the next week or so, so enjoy the ride! First, though, here are some notes and insights heading into the action starting Thursday…
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* The Sooners, Bruins and Huskies advanced to the WCWS as the top three-seeded teams in the country and they’ll be joined the World Series field by 5th-ranked Florida, #6 Arizona, #7 Minnesota, #8 Alabama, and #13 Oklahoma State.
* Four teams—Oklahoma, UCLA, Washington, and Florida—return to the WCWS as a collective group for the third consecutive year.
* UCLA has the longest active streak of appearances in Oklahoma City, making their fifth consecutive trip to the World Series.
* Opening round matchups are set for Thursday in Oklahoma City; the tournament will kick off with a face-off of Pac-12 foes as Washington takes on Arizona.
* Minnesota will go to battle against UCLA, while a nightcap doubleheader will finish off the day’s slate as Florida battles Oklahoma State and Oklahoma takes on Alabama to close the day.
Thursday’s opening match-ups are full of interesting storylines:
* Washington and Arizona played a three-game conference series during the regular season with the Huskies earning all three wins in a series sweep.
* Oklahoma State head coach Kenny Gajewski knows the Florida program well, after serving as an assistant coach for the Gators from 2013-15. Gajewski and Florida coach Tim Walton are former teammates and played college baseball together at Oklahoma.
