For the Big 12 Conference, softball super regionals offer four chances to get teams to the Women’s College World Series in Oklahoma City.
None of the four Big 12 teams — Texas Tech, Oklahoma State, UCF and Arizona State — are at home. But all four have the chance to punch their ticket to Oklahoma City, like Texas Tech did a season ago and like Oklahoma State did for five straight tournaments from 2019-24.
Arizona State is hot after beating both TTU and OSU in the Big 12 Tournament and after upsetting Texas A&M on the road. UCF must cross the country to face UCLA.
Here is a preview of each series, with the first games starting on Thursday.
Lincoln Super Regional
No. 4 Nebraska vs. No. 13 Oklahoma State
Thursday, May 21 – 8 p.m. – ESPN2
Friday, May 22 – 4 p.m. – ESPN2
Saturday, May 23 – 4 p.m. (if necessary) – ESPN
Oklahoma State gets a prime time showcase as one of two games on Thursday. The Cowgirls also get to play the country’s No. 1 team, Nebraska, which hasn’t been to a WCWS since 2013. The Cowgirls went five straight tournaments before the streak ended last year. OSU and Nebraska played earlier this season and split two games.
For the Cowgirls, success will come if pitcher Ruby Meylan (29-7, 2.12) pitches like the All-American she has been the last four seasons. It will also come if OSU keeps hitting home runs. The Cowgirls hit five in two games against Stanford in regionals and the power comes from several sources. But Rosie Davis and Amanda Hasler are the two hitters most likely to leave the year.
Nebraska has won 24 straight games, dating back to late March. The Cornhuskers are hosting a super regional for the first time in their history. They have a great pitching tandem in senior Jordy Frahm (19-4, 1.15) and freshman Alexis Jensen (24-2, 2.45). The pair and Meylan had the same youth pitching coach in Nebraska.
Frahm is one of the best all-around players in the country. She also hits and enters supers with a slash of .421/.516/.848 slash with 19 home runs and 50 RBI. Two other hitters have at least 10 home runs for Nebraska and seven hitters are batting .300 or better. It’s a lethal lineup.
Gainesville Super Regional
No. 6 Florida vs. No. 11 Texas Tech
Friday, May 22 – 10 a.m. – ESPN2
Saturday, May 23 – 11:30 a.m. – ABC
Sunday, May 24 – TBD (if necessary)
It’s going to be an early one for Tech fans in Lubbock on Friday and Saturday, as Games 1 and 2 open the schedule. This is a matchup of two teams that reached the WCWS last year. But they didn’t play each other as they were in different brackets. The Red Raiders reached the best-of-three championship series before losing to Texas.
Texas Tech has four everyday players batting .400 or better, led by Kaitlyn Terry at .470. Jackie Lis is batting .445 with 18 home runs and Mia Wiliams has a team-leading 22 home runs with a .435 average. Mihyia Davis is hitting .440 and leads the team with 200 at-bats.
Terry and NiJaree Canady can challenge Nebraska as the best pitching tandem in the country. Canady is 23-5 with a 1.42 ERA and Terry, who transferred in after last season to reduce Canady’s workload, is 24-1 with a 1.39 ERA.
Florida’s top hitter is Taylor Shumaker, who is batting .446 and has 18 home runs and 59 RBI. Jocelyn Erickson has 20 home runs and a .404 batting average. Nearly the Gators’ entire batting order has someone hitting .300 or better.
Tech will see a lot of Keagan Rothrock in the circle. She is 29-6 with a 2.42 ERA in 42 games (34 starts). She has struck out 179 but walked 82. She’s thrown 19 complete games.
Austin Super Regional
No. 2 Texas vs. Arizona State
Friday, May 22 – 8 p.m. – ESPN2
Saturday, May 23 – 6 p.m. – ESPN
Sunday, May 24 – TBD (if necessary)
Arizona State didn’t need to go home after beating Texas A&M, considering Texas was right up the road. But they went back to Arizona for a couple of days to get some extra work in before going back to Austin to face the defending national champions. But the Sun Devils already took down defending national runner-up Texas Tech in the Big 12 Tournament.
ASU is seeking its first WCWS berth since 2018 and its 20th all-time this weekend. Katie Chester is chasing records at the plate. She needs seven RBI to tie the Sun Devils’ single season mark and one home run to tie that single-season mark at 21. She’s batting .351 but Samantha Swan leads the team with a .382 average. Brooklyn Ulrich (.343 average) has a knack for clutch hits.
Expect a heavy dose of pitcher Kenzie Brown (17-6, 2.23 ERA) with help from Meika Lauppe (14-4, 3.76). Brown has 246 strikeouts and can dominate a lineup.
Texas is playing in its seventh straight super regional. Longhorns first baseman Katie Stewart stirs the offense. She was the SEC Player of the Year and was recently named a Softball America all-America first-team selection. She enters supers with 27 home runs, a new single-season program record, and a team-high .444 batting average.
Pitcher Kavan Teagan will get plenty of work. She is 23-4 with a. 2.47 ERA and has thrown 16 complete games. She has struck out 220.
Los Angeles Super Regional
No. 8 UCLA vs. UCF
Friday, May 22 – 8 p.m. – ESPNU
Saturday, May 23 – 8 p.m. – ESPN
Sunday, May 24 – TBD (if necessary)
UCLA is a softball power that has won 13 NCAA championships and regularly reaches the WCWS. UCF is making its second super regionals appearance all-time. Yes, it’s a lopsided matchup. But UCF went to Tallahassee and walked out with a regional final win over Florida State. So anything can happen.
Pitcher Isabella Vega is going to get plenty of work. She is 18-9 with a 2.81 ERA and she’ll need to be at her best against one of the game’s most potent lineups. UCF can hit. Sierra Humphreys leads the team with a .378 batting average and five regulars who bat .315 or better. Four have at least 10 home runs, including Izzy Mertes’ team-leading 17.
The Knights must defuse the 1-2 punch of Jordan Woolery and Megan Grant. Woolery bats .506 and has 34 home runs and 111 RBI. Grant is the NCAA single season record holder with 40 home runs, along with a .473 average and 86 RBI.
Pitcher Tinsely Taylor is a workhorse She is 30-6 with a 3.03 ERA. But the remaining pitchers have a 5.74 ERA or worse. She’ll likely take every inning. If the Knights can chase her off and force the Bruins to the bullpen, it’s to their benefit.
