Who will win WCWS championship? The picks are in
The 2023 Women’s College World Series begins Thursday at USA Softball Hall of Fame Stadium in Oklahoma City.
Eight teams, including top-seeded Oklahoma Sooners, will play a double-elimination tournament to determine two finalists, who will play a best-of-three series to determine the NCAA champion. Experts from the USA TODAY Sports Network have predicted how the bracket will play out and who will win it all. Here are their picks.
Ryan Aber, The Oklahoman
Game 1: Tennessee 5, Alabama 3
Game 2: Oklahoma 7, Stanford 1
Game 3: Florida State 5, Oklahoma State 4
Game 4: Washington 6, Utah 3
Game 5: Alabama 4, Stanford 2
Game 6: Oklahoma State 8, Utah 1
Game 7: Oklahoma 10, Tennessee 4
Game 8: Florida State 9, Washington 6
Game 9: Alabama 6, Washington 5
Game 10: Oklahoma State 3, Tennessee 2
Game 11: Oklahoma 6, Alabama 0
Game 13: Oklahoma State 7, Florida State 4
Game 14: Florida State 5, Oklahoma State 2
Championship series
Game 1: Oklahoma 7, Florida State 6
Game 2: Oklahoma 9, Florida State 2
Why Oklahoma will win: With Jordy Bahl pitching the way she is right now, and the depth of OU’s lineup, it’s hard not to pick the Sooners right now. Sure, another team could jump up and beat OU once, but it’s hard to fathom them losing twice in a championship series.
Cory Diaz, Daily Advertiser
Game 1: Alabama 3, Tennessee 1
Game 2: Oklahoma 6, Stanford 0
Game 3: Florida State 1, Oklahoma State 0
Game 4: Washington 4, Utah 3
Game 5: Tennessee 7, Stanford 2
Game 6: Utah 3, Oklahoma State 2
Game 7: Oklahoma 8, Alabama 4
Game 8: Florida State 2, Washington 0
Game 9: Tennessee 9, Washington 5
Game 10: Alabama 1, Utah 0
Game 11: Oklahoma 3, Tennessee 1
Game 13: Florida State 6, Alabama 4
Championship series
Game 1: Florida State 3, Oklahoma 2
Game 2: Oklahoma 8, Florida State 4
Game 3: Florida State 2, Oklahoma 1
Why Florida State will win: Florida State doesn’t have what Oklahoma has, and that’s the indelible pressure to win it all. With Kathryn Sandercock leading a stout pitching staff that doesn’t make many mistakes and Kaley Mudge fueling a capable lineup, the Seminoles make enough plays to knock off the Sooners in dramatic fashion.
Maxwell Donaldson, Tuscaloosa News
Game 1: Game 2: Game 3: Game 4: Game 5: Game 6: Game 7: Game 8:
Alabama 3, Tennessee 2 Oklahoma 8, Stanford 1 Florida State 3, Oklahoma State 2 Washington 4, Utah 2 Tennessee 6, Stanford 2 Oklahoma State 5, Utah 3 Oklahoma 6, Alabama 2 Florida State 4, Washington 2
Game 9: Tennessee 6, Washington 3
Game 10: Alabama 5, Oklahoma State 4
Game 11: Oklahoma 8, Tennessee 3
Game 13: Florida State 4, Alabama 2
Championship series
Game 1: Oklahoma 8, Florida State 2
Game 2: Oklahoma 7, Florida State 1
Why Oklahoma wins: The Sooners have been the best team all season, expect them to roll through the field and win their third straight title. Oklahoma has the most talent and proves it in Oklahoma City.
Cora Hall, Knoxville News Sentinel
Game 1: Tennessee 8, Alabama 4
Game 2: Oklahoma 10, Stanford 4
Game 3: Florida State 4, Oklahoma State 1
Game 4: Washington 3, Utah 6
Game 5: Alabama 3, Stanford 5
Game 6: Oklahoma State 7, Washington 3
Game 7: Tennessee 4, Oklahoma 7
Game 8: Florida State 9, Utah 8
Game 9: Stanford 2, Utah 4
Game 10: Oklahoma State 4, Tennessee 9
Game 11: Oklahoma 11, Utah 3
Game 13: Florida State 2, Tennessee 6
Championship series
Game 1: Tennessee 4, Oklahoma 2
Game 2: Oklahoma 6, Tennessee 1
Game 3: Oklahoma 8, Tennessee 5
Why Oklahoma will win: Tennessee will ride its postseason momentum to its second WCWS finals appearance, but that won’t be enough to take down Oklahoma. The Sooners had their scare in the NCAA Super Regionals against Clemson and they’re going to be at their best in Oklahoma City. Oklahoma will three-peat and continue its historical dominance.
Thomas Jones, Austin American-Statesman
Game 1: Tennessee 7, Alabama 2
Game 2: Oklahoma 8, Stanford 1
Game 3: Florida State 4, Oklahoma State 3
Game 4: Utah 5, Washington 2
Game 5: Stanford 8, Alabama 6
Game 6: Oklahoma State 4, Washington 1
Game 7: Oklahoma 5, Tennessee 3
Game 8: Florida State 9, Utah 2
Game 9: Stanford 6, Utah 3
Game 10: Tennessee 7, Oklahoma State 5
Game 11: Oklahoma 11, Stanford 2
Game 13: Tennessee 4, Florida State 3
Game 14: Tennessee 2, Florida State 1
Championship series
Game 1: Tennessee 5, Oklahoma 4
Game 2: Oklahoma 8, Tennessee 3
Game 3: Oklahoma 4, Tennessee 2
Why Oklahoma will win: Maybe these Sooners are mortal, maybe they’re not. I think a loaded WCWS lineup will ding Oklahoma at least once, but this team is too talented, too deep and too multi-faceted to lose twice in the doubleelimination format. Jordy Bahl gets her most outstanding player award and the 2023 Sooners lay claim to being the best college softball team of all time.
Ainslie Lee, Gainesville Sun
Game 1: Tennessee 6, Alabama 3
Game 2: Oklahoma 4, Stanford 1
Game 3: Florida State 5, Oklahoma State 4
Game 4: Washington 4, Utah 3
Game 5: Alabama 3, Stanford 1
Game 6: Oklahoma State 6, Utah 4
Game 7: Oklahoma 3, Tennessee 1
Game 8: Florida State 7, Washington 4
Game 9: Washington 4, Alabama 2
Game 10: Tennessee 5, Oklahoma State 3
Game 11: Oklahoma 8, Washington 1
Game 13: Tennessee 5, Florida State 1
Game 14: Florida State 6, Tennessee 4
Championship series
Game 1: Oklahoma 5, Florida State 2
Game 2: Oklahoma 6, Florida State 1
Why Oklahoma wins: Florida State scared Oklahoma back on March 14, but the postseason-version of the Sooners won’t let the Seminoles threaten in Oklahoma City. Oklahoma’s lineup will be too much for Florida State, despite the ‘Noles’ impressive staff of pitchers.
Christina Long, Greenville News
Game 1: Tennessee 5, Alabama 3
Game 2: Oklahoma 7, Stanford 3
Game 3: Oklahoma State 6, Florida State 4
Game 4: Utah 8, Washington 4
Game 5: Stanford 5, Alabama 2
Game 6: Florida State 6, Washington 3
Game 7: Oklahoma 8, Tennessee 5
Game 8: Oklahoma State 6, Utah 5
Game 9: Tennessee 5, Stanford 3
Game 10: Florida State 6, Utah 4
Game 11: Oklahoma 6, Tennessee 4
Game 13: Florida State 7, Oklahoma State 5
Game 14: Florida State 5, Oklahoma State 4
Championship series
Game 1: Oklahoma 5, Florida State 3
Game 2: Oklahoma 8, Florida State 4
Why Oklahoma will win: The Sooners are the most complete team in the country. Beating them once is hard enough, but twice is too much to ask.
Tyler Tachman, Indianapolis Star
Game 1: Tennessee 5, Alabama 1
Game 2: Oklahoma 7, Stanford 2
Game 3: Florida State 4, Oklahoma State 0
Game 4: Washington 3, Utah 2
Game 5: Alabama 6, Stanford 2
Game 6: Oklahoma State 6, Utah 4
Game 7: Oklahoma 4, Tennessee 2
Game 8: Florida State 5, Washington 3
Game 9: Alabama 7, Washington 2
Game 10: Tennessee 8, Oklahoma State 3
Game 11: Oklahoma 6, Alabama 0
Game 13: Tennessee 4, Florida State 2
Game 14: Florida State 3, Tennessee 1
Championship series
Game 1: Florida State 5, Oklahoma 3
Game 2: Oklahoma 7, Florida State 2
Game 3: Florida State 2, Oklahoma 1
Why Florida State will win: If you’re looking for a potential champion other than Oklahoma, don’t sleep on Florida State. The Seminoles won the ACC regular season and tournament championships, plus they have the league’s Pitcher and Coach of the Year.
Scott Wright, The Oklahoman
Game 1: Alabama 3, Tennessee 2
Game 2: Oklahoma 12, Stanford 2
Game 3: Oklahoma State 2, Florida State 1
Game 4: Utah 6, Washington 4
Game 5: Tennessee 5, Stanford 1
Game 6: Florida State 8, Washington 4
Game 7: Oklahoma 7, Alabama 3
Game 8: Oklahoma State 6, Utah 3
Game 9: Tennessee 9, Utah 8
Game 10: Florida State 5, Alabama 4
Game 11: Oklahoma 9, Tennessee 4
Game 13: Florida State 3, Oklahoma State 2
Game 14: Oklahoma State, 5, Florida State 3
Championship series
Game 1: Oklahoma 5, Oklahoma State 3
Game 2: Oklahoma State 3, Oklahoma 2
Game 3: Oklahoma 6, Oklahoma State 4
Why Oklahoma will win: This team, and this program, remain on a different level than everyone else. Until someone proves they can unseat the Sooners, they will reign supreme over the rest of the field.