2021 Women’s College World Series bracket, schedule, predictions, players to watch

The 2021 NCAA Softball Tournament is wrapping up as eight teams gather in Oklahoma City for the Women’s College World Series.

We’re in the home stretch of the 2021 NCAA Softball Tournament. With the Super Regionals completed, the 2021 Women’s College World Series is set to begin Thursday evening. Just a couple of weeks ago, 64 teams were vying for a chance to get to this point. Now, eight teams are looking to compete for a national title.

The eight teams are split into two brackets, with four teams in each bracket, and they will play in a double-elimination round that is set up the same way as the Regionals.

These eight teams who earned the right to compete in the 2021 Women’s College World Series

• Oklahoma
• James Madison
• Georgia
• Oklahoma State
• Alabama
• Arizona
• Florida State
• UCLA

Oklahoma, James Madison, Georgia, and Oklahoma State are in the first bracket. Alabama, Arizona, Florida State, and UCLA are in the second bracket.

These eight teams will then be trimmed down to two as the winners of the first and second brackets will meet in a championship series where they will try to win two of three games. Whoever wins the best-of-three series is crowned the champion.

What does the 2021 Women’s College World Series schedule look like?

June 3

• Game one – Oklahoma vs. James Madison at 11 a.m. CT
• Game two – Georgia vs. Oklahoma State at 1:30 p.m. CT
• Game three – Arizona vs. Alabama at 6 p.m. CT
• Game four – Florida State vs. UCLA at 8:30 p.m. CT

All four games will be broadcast on ESPN.

June 4

• Game five – Game one winner vs. Game two winner at 6 p.m.
• Game six – Game three winner vs. Game four winner at 8:30 p.m.

Both of these games will be broadcast on ESPNU.

June 5

• Game seven – Game one loser vs. Game two loser at 11 a.m.
• Game eight – Game three loser vs. Game four loser at 1:30 p.m.
• Game nine – Game six loser vs. Game seven winner at 6 p.m.
• Game 10 – Game five loser vs. Game eight winner at 8:30 p.m.

All four of these games will be broadcast on ESPN.

June 6

• Game 11 – Game five winner vs. Game nine winner at 12 p.m.
  Game 12 – Game six winner vs. Game 10 winner at 2:30 p.m.
  Game 13 if necessary for double elimination – The teams from game 11 will play again at 6 p.m.
  Game 14 if necessary for double elimination – The teams from game 12 will play again at 8:30 p.m.

Games 11 and 12 will be broadcast on ESPN. If necessary, games 13 and/or 14 will be broadcast on ESPN2.

Championship series

• Game one – 6:30 p.m. on June 7
• Game two – 6:30 p.m. on June 8
• Game three – 6 p.m. on June 9

The championship series will be broadcast on ESPN.

Which two teams will compete in the 2021 Women’s College World Series championship series?

I don’t know that anyone can keep Oklahoma from scoring as many runs as it wants. The Sooners have been phenomenal at the plate all season and can seemingly score a dozen runs whenever they want. OU’s Jocelyn Alo, Tiare Jennings, and Kinzie Hansen have combined for 76 home runs this season, which is more than many teams. I would not want to be the pitcher that goes up against them.

But Alabama’s pitching staff has certainly done well at shutting down opponents all year. As a team, Alabama has a 1.69 ERA and is holding foes to a .191 batting average. Montana Fouts leads the way for the Crimson Tide, having 196.2 innings pitched so far this season. Fouts has a 1.49 ERA, 314 strikeouts, and teams are only hitting with a .185 batting average against her. Lexi Kilfoyl has also proven to be a dominant pitcher this year with a 1.57 ERA and 118 strikeouts in 93.2 innings pitched.

And so, I suspect Alabama and Oklahoma will be the two teams competing for a national title this season. The Sooners and Crimson Tide have been dominant all year, but have won in very different ways.

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