The 2026 Women’s College World Series is upon us. Texas, Alabama, Nebraska, Texas Tech, Tennessee, Mississippi State, UCLA, and Arkansas are duking it out for the chance to be named the best team in all of college softball.
When and Where
The games begin today in Oklahoma City. The tournament will wrap up on June 5. The championship is a best-of-three series that begins on June 3. Five of the eight schools have never won a national title. UCLA has won 12 championships.
Top Storylines
The Team Missing: Oklahoma is not in the College World Series this year. It’ll be the first time since 2015 that they aren’t playing. They have been the powerhouse of the sport. They won four consecutive championships beginning in 2021. Without them in the mix, the dance is wide open for a new team to claim a title.
Defending Champs: If one of those teams is hoping to capitalize on the open dance, they still must get through Texas who took home the title in 2025. They are the best team in the country once again and have the best chance of repeating out of any team in the tournament.
Nebraska: That’s the storyline. They are the third-ranked team in the country, but they’ve never won a World Series, and they haven’t been in this tournament since 2013. They are a fan base that is going to travel well.
Pitching Matters: At this stage of the season, bats will create highlights, but pitching will get you deeper. Tennessee, Alabama, and Texas Tech boast the three best pitching staffs in the tournament. They are the top three in WHIP entering this tournament.
The Dominant Pitcher: Mississippi State’s Alyssa Faircloth enters this tournament as the best pitcher in the country and is fresh off a no-hitter in the NCAA Tournament. On May 16, she took down Oregon in fashion, spinning the first no-hitter in MSU tournament history and the second of her career.
The Dark Horse: Speaking of the Bulldogs, they might be the team that can make a deep run. They have a top offense and the best pitcher in the tournament. If Faircloth can go the distance, so can Mississippi State.
Prediction
Here is my pick. Texas Tech has an offense that can go toe-to-toe with just about any team in the country. They have the second-best batting average as a team and the third most home runs in the country. On top of that, they have the second-best pitcher in the tournament in NiJaree Canady. She recently signed a second seven-figure NIL deal and now is time to prove her worth.