Oklahoma and UCLA have combined to win five of the past six Women’s College World Series titles, and they’ve proven why they’re still among the college’s strongest softball teams.
In a rematch from last year’s WCWS championship series, the Sooners swept Texas, winning the first leg on Saturday. On Friday and Sunday games where the Sooners overcame the Longhorns 18-3, Tiare Jennings won 7 to 8 with eight RBIs.
Meanwhile, the Bruins took the top spot in the Pac-12 race by wiping out Stanford in a battle of the top 10. UCLA only allowed one run and 11 hits in 21 innings, and quarterback Aaliyah Jordan, the National Fastpitch Coaches Association’s two-time all-American first team in their seventh year of qualifying, scored twice in three games. .
Key game last week: Oklahoma 4, Texas 3. The Sooners are three points away from Texas, ending their 50-game winning streak at home. Leading 3-1, Riley Boone led the seventh inning with a singles game and Jayda Coleman followed with a home run that ended the game on the left. Later in the inning, Kinzie Hansen placed a singles in the left midfield area with the bases loaded for the game to begin.
Marquee games to watch: Florida State vs Clemson (Thursday, 6 p.m. ET, ACC Network). In the show’s fourth season, Clemson was 36-1 and won 22 straight games thanks to Valerie Cagle, who hit 13 home runs and also scored a 0.44 ERA in 110⅓ innings. Standing in the way is Florida State, the longtime ACC powerhouse that has won seven of the past eight tournaments.
Players to watch: Rachel Becker, Oklahoma. Becker, who moved to Oklahoma State after four years at Purdue, has been a permanent top of the Cowgirls roster. Her 0.511 batting average ranks third among all Division I players, and she has scored 43 runs, placing fourth nationally.
Game of the week: Indiana’s second-in-command, Taryn Kern, showed off his range and gauntlet as he dived into the dugout and secured an incredible catch.
Here are the schools ranked in the ESPN.com/USA Top 25 Softball Colleges poll (matches as of April 3):
1. Oklahoma, 33-1 (first 25 votes)
2. Oklahoma State, 32-2
3. UCLA, 32-4
4. Clemson, 36-1
5. Tennessee, March 29
6. Florida State, 29-7
7. Stanford, June 28
8. Georgia, June 29
9. Arkansas, 27-9
10. Texas, 30-8-1
T-11. Washington, August 26
T-11. LSU, 31-6
13. Duke, 28-8
14. Alabama, 11/26
15. Kentucky, 9/21-1
16. Oregon, 11/22
17. Virginia Technology, 27-8
18. Florida, September 26
19. Texas A&M, 22-13
20. Northwest, 20-9
21. Arizona, 24-12
22. Baylor, 27-9
23. Auburn, October 28
24. Utah, 22-7
25. Wichita State, 30-7
