The 2019 NCAA softball championship bracket is set as 64 teams try to begin their run at a national championship.
Oklahoma is the No. 1 overall seed, although there will be a lot of competition as the squad tries to bring home a title. Florida State is the defending champion with the experience necessary to succeed in the postseason, while top teams from all over the country have the talent to go all the way this year.
Even with a double-elimination format, this tournament could be full of surprises.
NCAA Tournament Schedule
May 17-19: Regional Tournaments
May 23-26: Super Regionals
May 30-June 5: Women's College World Series
Full bracket available at NCAA.com.
First-Round Matchups
Normal Regional
No. 1 Oklahoma vs. UMBC
Wisconsin vs. Notre Dame
Los Angeles Regional
No. 2 UCLA vs. Weber State
Missouri vs. Cal State Fullerton
Seattle Regional
No. 3 Washington vs. Fordham
Seattle U vs. Mississippi State
Tallahassee Regional
No. 4 Florida State vs. Bethune-Cookman
South Carolina vs. South Florida
Gainesville Regional
No. 5 Florida vs. Boston University
Stanford vs. Boise State
Tuscon Regional
No. 6 Arizona vs. Harvard
Auburn vs. Colorado State
Minneapolis Regional
No. 7 Minnesota vs. North Dakota State
Drake vs. Georgia
Tuscaloosa Regional
No. 8 Alabama vs. Alabama State
Arizona State vs. Lipscomb
Austin Regional
No. 9 Texas vs. Sam Houston State
Houston vs. Texas A&M
Baton Rouge Regional
No. 10 LSU vs. Monmouth
Texas Tech vs. Louisiana Tech
Oxford Regional
No. 11 Ole Miss vs. Chattanooga
Southeast Missouri State vs. Louisiana
Knoxville Regional
No. 12 Tennessee vs. Longwood
North Carolina vs. Ohio State
Stillwater Regional
No. 13 Oklahoma State vs. BYU
Tulsa vs. Arkansas
Lexington Regional
No. 14 Kentucky vs. Toledo
Virginia Tech vs. Illinois
Ann Arbor Regional
No. 15 Michigan vs. St. Francis (Pa.)
DePaul vs. James Madison
Evanston Regional
No. 16 Northwestern vs. Detroit Mercy
Louisville vs. Southern Illinois
Teams to Watch
Oklahoma
The Big 12 tournament was canceled due to weather, but there was no debate about which team was the best in the conference. Oklahoma was dominant all season long, going 18-0 in conference play and 49-2 overall during an incredible season.
Not only did the Sooners find ways to win nearly every time out, but they also excelled in nearly every phase of the game.
Their .365 batting average easily leads the country ahead of second-place James Madison with a .349 mark. The pitching has somehow been even better, ranking first in the nation at 1.15 compared to second-place Louisiana at 1.37.
Shannon Saile, a transfer from FIU, has shut down opponents to become one of the best pitchers in college softball.
"Anytime I say there's a chance they can't do something, they show me they can," coach Patty Gasso said of her team, per Jake Trotter of espnW.com. "It's a different kind of team. They act, they feel, their style is very invincible."
With three championships in the last six years, we also know this program knows how to get it done.
Considering each of the Sooners' two losses came in February, it will be difficult for any team to beat them in this tournament.
UCLA
Washington sits above UCLA in the latest coaches poll, but the Bruins are the most dangerous Pac-12 squad in this tournament.
Not only did the Bruins clinch the automatic bid from the conference by winning the regular-season title, but they also swept the Huskies in their only three head-to-head games this year. They are also more well-built for the NCAA tournament despite the fact that Washington reached the College World Series Finals a year ago.
UCLA has one of the best two-person pitching tandems in the country between Rachel Garcia and Megan Faraimo, who combined to pick up some significant hardware this year:
These two combined for 35 wins during the regular season and could get quite a few more over the next month.
With Bubba Nickles anchoring a deep lineup, there are all the tools necessary for a deep run.
A 3-3 record to close the year raises some concern, but UCLA will be a top contender for a championship.
Louisiana
Major conference teams like Florida State, Florida, Alabama and Arizona are all capable of winning it all, but don't count out Louisiana out of the Sun Belt Conference.
The Ragin' Cajuns had a 50-4 record this season, including 25-0 in league play, before cruising to a conference tournament title with two wins over Coastal Carolina.
Summer Ellyson was a machine this year, appearing in 46 games (41 starts) while totaling 249.1 innings. She was more than effective on the mound, totaling an incredible 37-4 record with a 0.98 ERA.
If Louisiana is going to win games this tournament, you can be certain Ellyson will have a significant role in them.
The offense also has quite a few hitters who can get on base or hit it out of the park, although there are question marks about their level of competition during the year.
It won't be an easy run to the CWS, but this team could surprise people during this postseason.
Note: All statistics courtesy of team sites and NCAA.com.
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