The College World Series is set for softball, and there aren't too many surprises in the field.
While there were a few single-game upsets over the first two rounds of the 2018 NCAA tournament, the favorites continue to advance. Every single seeded team reached the super regionals, while the home team advanced in all eight second-round series.
This might have reduced the drama to this point, but it also leaves a talented group of squads ready to compete for a championship over the next two weeks. Here is what you need to know about the women's tournament to this point and going forward.
Super Regional Series Results
No. 1 Oregon def. No. 16 Kentucky; 2-1
No. 2 Florida def. No. 15 Texas A&M; 2-1
No. 3 UCLA def. No. 14 Arizona; 2-0
No. 4 Oklahoma def. No. 13 Arkansas; 2-0
No. 5 Washington def. No. 12 Alabama; 2-0
No. 6 Florida State def. No. 11 LSU; 2-1
No. 7 Georgia def. No. 10 Tennessee; 2-0
No. 8 Arizona State def. No. 9 South Carolina; 2-0
College World Series Schedule (All times ET)
Thursday, May 31
Game 1: No. 1 Oregon vs. No. 8 Arizona State at 12 p.m. (ESPN)
Game 2: No. 4 Oklahoma vs. No. 5 Washington at 2:30 p.m. (ESPN)
Game 3: No. 2 Florida vs. No. 7 Georgia at 7 p.m. (ESPN2)
Game 4: No. 3 UCLA vs. No. 6 Florida State at 9:30 p.m. (ESPN2)
Friday, June 1
Game 5: Winner of Game 1 vs. Winner of Game 2 at 7 p.m. (ESPN)
Game 6: Winner of Game 3 vs. Winner of Game 4 at 9:30 p.m. (ESPN)
Saturday, June 2
Game 7: Loser of Game 1 vs. Loser of Game 2 at 12 p.m. (ESPN)
Game 8: Loser of Game 3 vs. Loser of Game 4 at 2:30 p.m. (ESPN)
Game 9: Loser of Game 5 vs. Winner of Game 7 at 7 p.m.
Game 10: Loser of Game 6 vs. Winner of Game 8 at 9:30 p.m.
Sunday, June 3
Game 11: Winner of Game 5 vs. Winner of Game 9 at 1 p.m. ET (ESPN)
Game 12: Winner of 6 vs. Winner of Game 10 at 3:30 p.m. (ESPN)
Game 13: Game 11 Rematch If Necessary at 7 p.m.
Game 14: Game 12 Rematch If Necessary at 9:30 p.m.
Full bracket available at NCAA.com.
Preview
Oregon rightfully earned the No. 1 overall seed thanks to an outstanding season, but a loss to Kentucky in the super regional created some uncertainty with this squad.
No. 16 Kentucky pulled an upset in Game 1 of a three-game series, putting the favorites just one game away from elimination. Fortunately, the Ducks were able to respond with two straight victories to punch their tickets to Oklahoma City.
"Certainly I think every team has a gut-check," Oregon coach Mike White said Sunday after the 2-1 series win, per Ashley Young of NBC Sports. "...It happens a lot. You either got to persevere in those moments and come back and believe in what you’re doing or you go home. And so I think the finale of all, this team stepped up and that’s what you got to do, have to do."
Coming from behind to beat Kentucky is impressive, although defeating Oklahoma in its home state will be a completely different challenge.
The Sooners have won the last two national championships and are just as hot in this tournament, winning all five games while outscoring opponents 40-2. Only one game in the NCAA tournament didn't end in a shutout.
Brooke Pryor of the Oklahoman and Big 12 reporter Shehan Jeyarajah discussed the dominance heading into the CWS:
Washington and Arizona State have been impressive so far this tournament, but the real battle in the first bracket will likely be between Oregon and Oklahoma.
There could be a little more parity in the second portion of the bracket, with favorites Florida and UCLA each suffering setbacks so far in the NCAA tournament.
While the Gators have the pedigree and recent history on their side, UCLA has one of the best overall players in the country in Rachel Garcia, who beats opponents as both a pitcher and a hitter. Still, Florida State and Georgia have shown they won't be easy teams to eliminate.
Although underdogs haven't fared well overall in this event, we could see some changes to this theme in Oklahoma City.
College World Series Finals Schedule (Best of 3)
Game 1: June 4 at 7 p.m. ET (ESPN)
Game 2: June 5 at 8 p.m. ET (ESPN)
Game 3: June 6 at 8:30 p.m. ET (ESPN)
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