Lady Sooners looking to extend record win streak
OKLAHOMA CITY — Oklahoma could become the first college softball program since UCLA more than 30 years ago to win three consecutive national championships.
UCLA won titles in 1988, 1989 and 1990. Since then, teams have won back-to-back seven times. Oklahoma went for three after winning it all in 2016 and 2017 but lost in the semifinals in 2018.
The top-seeded Sooners (56-1) are expected to end the drought. They enter the World Series on an NCAA Division I-record 48-game win streak while leading the nation in scoring, batting average, earned run average and fielding percentage. They open Thursday against No. 9 seed Stanford (45-13).
The Sooners boast two USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year Top 10 finalists in their batting lineup — Tiare Jennings and Jayda Coleman.
And then, there’s Kinzie Hansen. She hit a game-tying threerun homer when Oklahoma was down to its last strike against Clemson in Super Regionals last Saturday. Two innings later, Jennings hit the game-winning homer in the dramatic comeback 8-7 victory that clinched the World Series berth and the record for longest win streak.
Oklahoma’s pitching staff includes Jordy Bahl — another Top 10 finalist — and Alex Storako, a transfer from Michigan who was the first player chosen in the Women’s Professional Fastpitch draft last month. Nicole May, a third starter, has the team’s best earned run average and plenty of World Series experience.
In other opening matchups on Thursday, it will be No. 4 Tennessee (49-8) vs. No. 5 Alabama (45-20) in a matchup of Southeastern Conference rivals, No. 3 Florida State (55-9) against No. 6 Oklahoma State (46-14) and No. 7 Washington vs. No. 15 Utah in a Pac-12 matchup.
The World Series starts with a double-elimination format, with the final two teams playing a best-of-three series for the title.
FABULOUS FRESHMAN
Stanford’s NiJaree Canady could be a major roadblock to Oklahoma’s title hopes.
The freshman has a 16-1 record with a nation-leading 0.48 ERA and 193 strikeouts in 116 1/3 innings.
The Sooners also could face Alana Vawter, who is 20-8 with a 1.83 ERA.