After a topsy-turvy weekend of regionals—including a historic comeback for No. 7 Washington and a roller-coaster victory for unseeded Louisiana—get ready for more college softball. The super regionals begin Thursday at 7 p.m. ET with No. 3 Florida State taking on No. 14 Georgia, and by the end of the weekend, we’ll know the field for the Women’s College World Series in Oklahoma City.
Here are five of the biggest story lines to watch.
No. 1 Oklahoma looks as terrifying as ever …
This one’s hardly a surprise. But it’s still worth saying: No. 1 Oklahoma continues to seem just about unbeatable. The Sooners have now extended their win streak to 46—putting them within reach of the record 47 consecutive wins by Arizona in 1996–97—and have looked every bit as fierce as that suggests. They run-ruled all three of their opponents in regionals. They continued to pad their ridiculous stats: They lead Division I in team batting average (.376 while no one else tops .340) and team ERA (0.88 while no one else beats 1.30). They were already heavily favored to repeat as champions. But their performance at regionals just underscored the point: Yes, Oklahoma is every bit as strong as it seems, and that should frighten every potential opponent.
… Yet its matchup with No. 16 Clemson may not be a breeze
With all that said about Oklahoma’s strengths, its next opponent still could be a bit more challenging than you might think. This is a great matchup of styles: Don’t overlook No. 16 Clemson just because of its seed. The Tigers have one of the best pitching staffs in D-I. Their 1.36 team ERA is second in the nation only to (who else?) Oklahoma. They’re top 10 in shutouts and strikeout-to-walk ratio and a rare staff with multiple pitchers in the top 15 in the country for ERA. One is sophomore Brooke McCubbin, with a 1.01 ERA, and the other is Valerie Cagle, whose 1.20 ERA and .467 batting average make her perhaps the best two-way player in the country. (Yet one of the other staffs with multiple pitchers that high on the leaderboard is … you guessed it, Oklahoma, which has three, in Nicole May, Alex Storako and Jordy Bahl.) Clemson backs up that great pitching with strong defense. It also helps that it’s hungry: This program has never made it to the WCWS. The Tigers are facing a (clearly) formidable challenge. But Clemson’s pitching power means this matchup could be a lot more exciting than you might think from a No. 1 versus a No. 16.
Which of these underdogs could make some noise?
There are three unseeded teams remaining: Oregon (facing No. 6 Oklahoma State), Louisiana (facing No. 7 Washington) and San Diego State (facing No. 15 Utah). All have shown they can punch above their weight. But if you’re picking one especially likely to advance? Watch out for Oregon. The Ducks are facing a Cowgirls team that had been sputtering until this weekend: They were 2–11 from mid-April through the end of the Big 12 tournament. While they were able to snap back enough to stay undefeated during regionals last weekend, they clearly have some weaknesses, and Oregon seems well suited to pounce. The Ducks’ offense is fierce—their team batting average is .312—and they could easily knock off the Cowgirls. And watch out for San Diego State, too. The Aztecs were in the regional bracket that knocked out No. 2 UCLA, and while they didn’t have to face the Bruins, they outscored their other opponents last weekend 19–3.
Make time for No. 3 Florida State vs. No. 14 Georgia
Forget the seeding. This might be the most evenly matched pairing in super regionals: It’s the only matchup between a program with a top-10 team slugging percentage and a program with a top-10 team ERA. The offense here is Georgia, second in the nation in slugging only to (yes, of course) Oklahoma. But the Bulldogs offer more than just power: They hit for average, too. Their .322 team batting average ranked 11th in D-I. And the pitching here is Florida State, behind the mastery of Kat Sandercock, who boasts a 1.11 ERA and threw a perfect game against South Carolina last Sunday. But if Sandercock isn’t in the circle? Freshman Makenna Reid is—and she has a 0.94 ERA. It’s an elite, slugging offense against a dominant pitching staff, and it’s about as competitive of a pairing as you can get before the WCWS.
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What can No. 5 Alabama expect from ace Montana Fouts?
The four-time collegiate player of the year finalist hasn’t pitched since hyperextending her knee May 11. But it seems like she may be ready to make her return. Fouts was spotted warming up in the bullpen last Sunday: No. 5 Alabama ended up not needing her, thanks to a dominant performance by starter Jaala Torrence, but her appearance in the ’pen was still a positive sign. Crimson Tide coach Patrick Murphy said Fouts entering had been a “possibility.” That should bode well for her availability in the super regionals this weekend against No. 12 Northwestern.
Torrence is a force to be reckoned with on her own: She’s posted a 2.08 ERA in 80 innings this year, including her shutout, eight-strikeout performance against Middle Tennessee on Sunday. If Fouts isn’t available or isn’t at full strength, Alabama certainly still has a chance to move on with Torrence in the circle. But the chances are far better if both pitchers are possibilities. Fouts is posting her best season in what had already been a brilliant career: The graduate student has a 1.44 ERA in 213.1 innings with 311 strikeouts. Even if she’s compromised or available in only relief, Fouts is a huge asset, and Alabama’s outlook going forward could hinge on just what it sees from her.
