The No. 2-ranked Oklahoma softball team is another step closer to an unprecedented fourth consecutive national championship as it gets set to host Florida State in the NCAA Norman Super Regional at beautiful new Love's Field in Norman.
The Sooners (52-6) will face No. 14 Florida State (46-14) on Thursday in the first game of a best two-of-three series. Game 1 is at 6 p.m. Thursday and will be televised on ESPN2. The winner of the series will advance to the Women's College World Series.
Florida State advanced to the super regionals by defeating Chattanooga 3-2, UCF out of the Big 12 5-1 and Auburn 10-4 last weekend in the Tallahassee Regional at FSU.
Oklahoma is shooting for its eighth consecutive WCWS appearance and 12th in the last 13 seasons the NCAA Softball Championship has been held. In case you are wondering which team holds the record for the most consecutive WCWS appearances, it is Arizona. The Lady Wildcats advanced to the Women's College World Series 16 times between 1988 and 2003.
The Sooners and Seminoles are very familiar with each other having faced each other in the 2021 and 2023 WCWS championship series. Oklahoma swept two games from FSU on both occasions to win two of their three consecutive national titles. The overall series between the two teams, however, has been much closer with OU holding an 11-8 advantage. The only time the two teams have played in Norman was in 2023. That game was played at the Sooners' former softball home, Marita Hynes Field with OU winning 5-4.
Oklahoma is appearing in its 14th consecutive NCAA Super Regional and is hosting the super regional round for an eighth consecutive time.
Where OU and Florida State rank nationally this season
OU Florida State
ESPN.com/USA Softball Poll 1 14
Batting average 2 ( .365) 8 (.336)
Runs per game 3 (8.07) 6 (7.52)
Home runs 3 (107) 10 (87)
Earned Run Average 6 (1,82) 138 (3.60)
On-base percentage 1 (.471) 6 (.421)
Fielding percentage 2 (.980) 54 (.969)