Oklahoma will need to beat nemesis Florida State to maintain its hopes of a fourth straight title

By CLIFF BRUNT
AP Sports Writer

Oklahoma will need to beat a familiar opponent to earn a shot at a record fourth straight national softball title.

The second-seeded Sooners (52-6) host No. 15 seed Florida State (46-14) in a best-of-three super regional series starting Thursday at Love’s Field in Norman, Oklahoma. The winner advances to the Women’s College World Series, which begins May 30 at Devon Park in Oklahoma City.

Coach Patty Gasso’s Sooners beat the Seminoles in the national championship series last year and in 2021.

Florida State has its own championship history under coach Lonni Alameda, winning the national title in 2018 and playing in three of the last five championship series.

TEXAS ROLLING

Texas played like a No. 1 overall seed at its regional, plowing through the Austin Regional by beating Siena 5-0 and Northwestern 14-2 and 7-0.

The Longhorns will host future SEC rival Texas A&M in super regionals starting Friday. Reese Atwood, a top-three finalist for USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year, heads a unit that leads the nation with a .383 batting average.

Atwood has set Texas single-season records with 22 home runs and 88 RBIs. She has a .433 batting average and a .488 on-base percentage.

KILFOYL DOMINATES

Oklahoma State’s Lexi Kilfoyl showed why she is one of three finalists for the USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year award by blowing through the competition in regional play.

The Big 12 Pitcher of the Year ranks second in the nation with a 1.08 ERA. In the Stillwater Regional, she went 3-0 with 0.74 ERA in 19 innings, struck out 21 and walked none. She claimed wins against Northern Colorado, Kentucky and Michigan.

Kilfoyl is the first Oklahoma State player to be named a top-three finalist. The fifth-seeded Cowgirls will host Arizona in super regionals starting Friday.

UCLA RETURNS

Traditional power UCLA was knocked out in regionals last year in a shocking exit that included a loss to Grand Canyon.

Not this time.

The sixth-seeded Bruins beat Grand Canyon 9-0 on Friday, then 9-1 in the rematch on Sunday to advance to super regionals. Sharlize Palacios had three home runs against Grand Canyon in regional play.

UCLA will host No. 11 seed Georgia in super regionals starting Thursday.

UPSET SPECIALS

Baylor and Arizona are the only two unseeded teams to break through the opening weekend.

Baylor won at No. 13 Louisiana to clinch its spot in super regionals. Arizona beat Villanova, defeated No. 12 Arkansas, then topped Villanova again to advance.

Baylor had the most dramatic turn of events. The Bears went into the final day of regional play unbeaten and would have to lose twice to be eliminated against Louisiana on the road.

Louisiana won the first game 13-0 to set up the winner-take-all second game. Baylor trailed early but scored two runs in the fifth to take the lead for good in a 4-3 win.

Baylor will visit No. 4 seed Florida in super regionals starting Friday.

Arizona visits Oklahoma State in a meeting that could plant the seeds for a rivalry. The Wildcats join the Cowgirls in the Big 12 next year.

CANADY CRUISING

Stanford’s NiJaree Canady could be the nation’s top player as a sophomore.

The third finalist for USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year leads the nation with 292 strikeouts and a 0.52 ERA. She’ll lead the eighth-seeded Cardinal when they host No. 9 LSU starting Friday.

Canady was the National Fastpitch Coaches Association’s Freshman of the Year last season. She threw a one-hitter against Washington that pushed the Cardinal into the World Series semifinals.

SEC DOMINANCE

Nine of the 16 remaining teams will be in the Southeastern Conference next year.

Texas and Oklahoma will join the conference next year.

Texas will face current SEC member Texas A&M. Third-seeded Tennessee will face No. 14 Alabama in a matchup of traditional SEC powers.

In other matchups, No. 4 seed Florida hosts Baylor, No. 11 Georgia visits No. 6 UCLA, No. 7 Missouri hosts No. 10 Duke and No. 9 LSU visits No. 8 Stanford.

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