The 2025 Women’s College World Series is upon us and there is no doubt that it will live up to the billing and be fun to watch. The first two days of games have come and gone in the double elimination round as some teams hold onto the ropes and others sit in the driver’s seat. Once again, we are looking at a World Series that is dominated by the SEC with 5 of the 8 teams hailing from the conference where it just means more. The Big Ten is well represented with UCLA and Oregon while the Big 12 is represented solely by Texas Tech. Let’s break it all down in the WCWS.
Games played Friday, May 30
Note: These did not finish before our deadline)
No. 3 Florida vs No. 7 Tennessee
The Gators are facing off against the Vols in the elimination round. The Vols were dealt a brutal opening round matchup against Oklahoma, a team that no softball program in the country wants to see coming on the opening schedule. The Gators fell to Texas in an upset where their bats went to sleep and they couldn’t get the offense rolling. I’ll lean for Florida to bounce back in this game and handle business. It’s the three-seed versus seven-seed. And while the Vols were winners a year ago, the show stops here.
No. 16 Oregon vs Ole Miss
Oregon and Ole Miss are certainly the runt of the litter in this tournament, and this is a toss-up game. Ole Miss was blanked by Texas Tech and the best pitcher in this tournament. For that reason, I think the bats wake up against the Ducks. Despite being the higher seed, I’ll fade Oregon and go with the Rebels in what should be a tight game.
Games Scheduled for Saturday, May 31
No. 2 Oklahoma versus No. 6 Texas
What isn’t to like? The eight-time National Champs are back on the big stage and are favored to bring home the hardware. This team lacks some of the star power that they have in recent years and had their most regular season losses since 2017, but their offense is still going to bully teams and that should be plenty.
The Longhorns enjoyed their softball season in the SEC and have a serious chance to make a run in 2025. They might have the most College World Series experience in their lineup and that can’t be understated as the lights begin to get much brighter.
No. 9 UCLA versus No. 12 Texas Tech
Three of the top five extra-base hit hitters hail from the Bruins lineup and that makes it a nightmare for any team to put away the Bruins, just ask South Carolina about that. They have great arms which give them a great shot.
NiJaree Canady changed the game for softball players with a revolutionary NIL deal to leave Stanford and join the Red Raiders and she’s lived up to the bill. The bats will need to help her down the stretch, something Stanford could never properly do for her.
Championship Prediction
I am not going to reinvent the wheel here. When you have Oklahoma in a tournament as the two-seed, it’s pretty clear as to where this thing is headed.