It's time to book some plane tickets for Oklahoma City.
Eight teams have punched their ticket to the final stage of the 2024 NCAA Division I softball tournament.
There are plenty of familiar faces in the field. Of course, Patty Gasso's Oklahoma squad is back looking to win four straight national championships. In addition to the Sooners, Alabama, Oklahoma State and Stanford are also back from last year's tournament.
There are also some new faces as well. Texas debuts as the No. 1 seed in 2024 and makes only its second appearance since 2013. Florida is back after missing the field last year and UCLA returns for a record 36th appearance. And then there's Duke, a still young softball program that is making the first CWS appearance in its early history.
Here's what you need to know about the teams in this year's field.
Who is in the Women's College World Series in 2024?
Following the super regionals, the College World Series bracket has been made official. Here's a look at the teams that have reached Oklahoma City.
No. 1 Texas
The Sooners have dominated college softball for the past several years. But when Texas won the series against top-ranked Oklahoma in early April, it represented a shifting of the powers. Since then, Texas has clung to the No. 1 ranking in the nation. And after a scare in the super regionals against Texas A&M, the Longhorns are off to the College World Series as the top seed.
Powered by National Player of the Year finalist Reese Atwood, the Longhorns have been among the top offenses in the country, ranking second in Division I in on-base percentage (.473), fourth in slugging percentage (.627) and ninth in home runs (88). They outscored opponents 485-137. Atwood slashed .435/.505/.904 with 23 home runs. And as if the offensive output hasn't been enough, Texas also ranks eighth in team ERA at 1.91.
No. 2 Oklahoma
Oklahoma has already won three straight national championships, but the Sooners came into this year's tournament as the No. 2 seed, putting them in an unusual position as a slight underdog in the field. But Oklahoma made quick work of No. 15 Florida State in two games to advance to the College World Series for the eighth straight edition of the tournament.
The Sooners are once again dominant in nearly all facets of the game. They rank seventh in team ERA (1.85), first in on-base percentage (.473) and second in slugging percentage (.724) among all Division I teams. They have outscored opponents 483-107 this season.
No. 4 Florida
The Gators faced a bit of a scare when Baylor took down Florida 5-2 in the second game of the super regionals then mounted a late comeback in the third game, but No. 4 Florida was able to eliminate the Bears to reach the College World Series. Now Florida is looking to reach the College World Series title game for the first time since 2017 and claim the program's first title since winning back-to-back in 2014 and 2015.
Florida is all about the bats. They rank 52nd in team ERA at 2.79, but are fourth in on-base percentage (.448) and fifth in slugging percentage (.596). They are also a dangerous team on the bases as they are tied for 10th with 107 stolen bases.
No. 5 Oklahoma State
Arizona pulled off an upset in the Fayetteville regionals, but its run ended swiftly in a sweep against Oklahoma State. The Cowgirls punched their fifth straight trip to the College World Series, and they're hoping this year will wind up being the time they win their first national championship.
National Player of the Year finalist Lexi Kilfoyl, who has a 1.05 ERA in 167 innings this season, is the star of Oklahoma State, but this is a well-rounded roster that ranks 10th in team ERA (1.95), 31st in on-base percentage (.391) and eighth in slugging percentage (.561).
No. 6 UCLA
The Bruins swept No. 11 Georgia to cap off what has been a dominant run to the College World Series. UCLA has not lost a tournament game and has now reached the College World Series for a record 36th time. The Bruins have the most national championships with 13, and they're looking to keep adding to that record and claim their first title since 2019.
Led by star slugger Maya Brady, the Bruins rank 17th in slugging percentage (.525) and 10th in on-base percentage (.409). Brady has a .431/.515/.844 slash line with 17 home runs this season. She was named Pac-12 Player of the Year for the second straight year.
No. 8 Stanford
Simply put: NiJaree Canady is a cheat code. She has an absurd 0.67 ERA in 198.2 innings of work this season. She has 307 strikeouts to only 36 walks for an 8.53 strikeout-to-walk ratio. And in an elimination game against No. 9 LSU, she held the Tigers to just three hits and a walk over six innings.
The National Player of the Year finalist has been the anchor of No. 8 Stanford, and is the prime reason the Cardinal ranks ninth in ERA at 1.94. The question for Stanford will be how the bats can keep up among some of the best offenses in the country — the Cardinal ranks 77th in on-base percentage (.368) and 75th in slugging percentage (.441).
No. 10 Duke
The Blue Devils have come a long way in a short time. The program started in 2018 and made its first regional appearance in 2021. Duke then went to back-to-back super regionals in 2022 and 2023, and now has advanced to the College World Series for the first time in team history by stunning No. 7 Missouri 4-3 in the Columbia regional.
Duke can do a little bit of everything well. The Blue Devils rank 12th in on-base percentage (.407) and 20th in slugging percentage (.519), but pitching is where they're best, sitting third with a 1.53 ERA. Claire Davidson made a case for Player of the Year with 18 home runs and a 1.420 OPS, while Jala Wright shined on the mound with a 1.28 ERA in 153.1 innings, forming a dynamic pairing with Cassidy Curd who had a 1.29 ERA in 119.1 innings.
No. 14 Alabama
The Crimson Tide were the No. 5 team in the nation in 2023 and advanced to the College World Series for the 14th time in program history. Coming into the 2024 postseason, they were a bit below a few others, ranking as the No. 14 team in the country and facing a talented Tennessee squad that ranked third. All the Crimson Tide did was get off to a 4-0 start on a first-inning grand slam from Riley Valentine in the first inning and top the third-ranked Volunteers to head back to Oklahoma City.
Unlike some of the others in this year's field, the Crimson Tide are not a star-studded lineup. They have only a .352 on-base percentage and .386 slugging percentage, which rank 146th and 161st, respectively. But they are among the best at keeping runs off the board, ranking seventh in ERA at 1.91.
College World Series bracket 2024
The field of eight will be split into two groups of four with the teams battling in a double elimination tournament. The winners of each side will then face off in a best-of-three series final round to determine the 2024 national champion.
Here's how the brackets have shaped up:
Bracket 1
| Team | W | L |
| No. 1 Texas | ||
| No. 4 Florida | ||
| No. 5 Oklahoma State | ||
| No. 8 Stanford |
Bracket 2
| Team | W | L |
| No. 2 Oklahoma | ||
| No. 6 UCLA | ||
| No. 10 Duke | ||
| No. 14 Alabama |
When is the Women's College World Series?
- College World Series: Thursday, May 30 - June 5
- Finals: June 5-7
- Location: OGE Energy Field at the USA Softball Hall of Fame Complex, Oklahoma City, Okla.
The Women's College World Series opens on Thursday, May 30. It could run as late as Friday, June 7, if the finals lasts a full three games.
The USA Softball Hall of Fame Complex in Oklahoma City has been the home of the Women's College World Series since 1990, when it moved from the Twin Creeks Sports Complex in Sunnyvale, Calif. The first six Women's College World Series, held from 1982-87, were played in Omaha, Neb., at Seymour Smith Park.
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