The stage is set for the 2023 Women's College World Series.
Last year's Oklahoma squad dominated en route to a 59-3 season and a sixth national championship. This year's team might be even better despite losing National Player of the Year and softball home run record holder Jocelyn Alo.
But making it three straight titles will be easier said than done. The field is loaded with talent, with all but one of the remaining seven teams ranking in the top 10 nationally. Tennessee might have this year's National Player of the Year and Stanford boasts a pitcher with an ERA below 0.50.
Who will be in this year's College World Series? Here's what you need to know.
MORE: Full 2023 Women's College World Series bracket
Who is in the Women's College World Series in 2023?
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 Oklahoma
The Sooners have won back-to-back national championships. And there's no reason to expect anything less in 2023. Top-ranked Oklahoma is 56-1 this season, with the loss having come all the way back on Feb. 19 against Baylor. The Sooners come into the College World Series on a 48-game winning streak.
Oklahoma leads the nation with a 1.00 ERA, .462 on-base percentage, .683 slugging percentage and 478 runs scored. The Sooners have outscored teams 478-56 this season. Four of their starters are hitting over .400 and five players have at least 12 home runs.
No. 3 Florida State
The Seminoles aren't exactly on the same roll the Sooners are on, but winning 21 of their past 22 games isn't too shabby. Florida State comes into the College World Series with a 55-9 record, and has been dominant in its own right, having outscored teams 392-139.
Florida State will be an exciting team to watch, particularly on the basepaths. Five players have double-digit steals, including Devyn Flaherty, who is tied for 24th in Division I softball with 30 steals in 31 attempts. No team left in the CWS has more steals than Florida State's 126.
No. 4 Tennessee
The Volunteers faced a challenging No. 8 Texas squad in the super regionals, and dismantled the Longhorns in a 5-2, 9-0 sweep to reach the College World Series for the first time since 2015. Tennessee has not lost since the last game of the regular season, when it fell 4-2 to South Carolina.
The only team with a lower ERA than Tennessee's 1.48 mark is Oklahoma. And arguably no player has been more dynamic than outfielder Kiki Milloy. She leads the nation with 25 home runs and is the only player with a 20/20 season after she swiped 39 bases in 40 attempts. Ashley Rogers hasn't been too shabby on the mound either, ranking second in the nation with a 0.75 ERA in 131.1 innings, the only pitcher with a sub-1.00 ERA and more than 120 innings of work.
No. 5 Alabama
The Crimson Tide out-lasted Northwestern in a tight 5-12 matchup in the super regionals, winning the last two games of the series 2-1 and 3-2 to advance to the College World Series. Alabama comes into Oklahoma City with a 45-20 record, and having nearly doubled up their opponents with a 302-156 run differential.
Alabama has a balanced pitching staff that has posted a collective 1.99 ERA — 13th in Division I — with Montana Fouts' 1.48 ERA leading the charge. She is ninth in the country with 219.1 innings and led the country with 317 strikeouts.
No. 6 Oklahoma State
The Cowgirls were upset in their first matchup of the Big 12 tournament, but since then, they have had no problems with any teams. Oklahoma State swept through the regionals by outscoring its three opponents 20-2 and then sweeping Oregon 17-1 in the two super regional games.
Seven of Oklahoma State's starters are batting over .300 and none of the team's three regular hurlers have an ERA above 2.30. Kelly Maxwell's 11.2 K/7 ratio is the second-best in Division I as she has whiffed 222 batters in 138.1 innings of work.
No. 7 Washington
The first of three Pac-12 teams in the College World Series, Washington comes into Oklahoma City having swept No. 22 Louisiana without allowing a run in the super regionals. The Huskies finished the regular season strong, having won series against both Utah and Stanford — the other two Pac-12 teams — to end the year.
The Huskies are led by a pair of batters with OPS's over 1.000, with Baylee Klingler (1.168) and Sami Reynolds (1.027) each powering a steady lineup that ranks 23rd in slugging percentage and 25th in on-base percentage.
No. 9 Stanford
Since the postseason began, Stanford has been on a run. The Cardinal swept No. 20 Florida to cap off a three-game regional run and then stunned No. 5 Duke in a sweep of the Blue Devils to punch their ticket to the College World Series.
Stanford has lived on the strength of its pitching. NiJaree Canady has the lowest ERA in Division I at 0.48 in 116.1 innings and the best K/7 at 11.6 with 193 punchouts. Oklahoma and Tennessee are the only CWS teams with a lower ERA than Stanford's 1.50 mark.
No. 15 Utah
The Utes continue to ride a ton of momentum. They wrapped up the season sweeping No. 13 Oregon, picked up wins against No. 5 Washington and No. 2 UCLA to win the Pac-12 Tournament and have lost only once, the first game of the super regionals, since the start of the NCAA softball tournament.
The name of the game for Utah is putting the ball in play. Utah ranks eighth in hits with 510 and has struck out only 182 times this season. The team's top hitter, Aliya Belarde, has struck out only nine times this season with 16 walks and a .973 OPS.
College World Series odds
| Team | Odds |
| Oklahoma | -390 |
| Florida State | +600 |
| Oklahoma State | +1700 |
| Tennessee | +1700 |
| Washington | +3200 |
| Alabama | +6000 |
| Utah | +6500 |
| Stanford | +7000 |
Odds according to FanDuel Sportsbook.
College World Series bracket 2023
The field of eight will be split into two groups of four with the teams battling it out on each side 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 2023 national champion.
Here's how the brackets have shaped up:
Bracket 1
| Team | W | L |
| Oklahoma | ||
| Tennessee | ||
| Alabama | ||
| Stanford |
Bracket 2
| Team | W | L |
| Florida State | ||
| Oklahoma State | ||
| Washington | ||
| Utah |
When and where is the College World Series?
- College World Series: Thursday, June 1-9
- Finals: June 7-9
- Location: OGE Energy Field at the USA Softball Hall of Fame Complex, Oklahoma City, Okla.
The Women's College World Series officially begins on Thursday, June 1, and will run through as late as Friday, June 9, if the finals go to three games.
The Women's College World Series has been held at the USA Softball Hall of Fame Complex since 1990, when it moved from the Twin Creeks Sports Complex in Sunnyvale, Calif. The first six Women's College World Series, which were from 1982-87, were held at Seymour Smith Park in Omaha, Neb.
