2022 NCAA Softball Championship: No. 1 Oklahoma Sooners swing for second straight World Series title

The reigning national champion Oklahoma Sooners enter the 2022 NCAA Division I Softball Championships – which kick off Friday at 16 regional sites – as the No. 1-ranked team in the country. Boasting a 49-2 record with 35 run-rule victories, the Sooners appear poised to defend their 2021 Women’s College World Series (WCWS) title, and rank first in the country in batting average (.367), runs per game (9.26) and ERA (0.81).

Additionally, Oklahoma features a prolific offense that hit 125 home runs this season, led by Jocelyn Alo, the NCAA softball home run leader. They also bring a top pitching staff, which sports a stunning .75 ERA and is led by freshman Jordy Bahl.

Four teams – Grand Canyon, Murray State, North Texas and the University of North Carolina Wilmington – will make their NCAA softball tournament debuts, while Clemson, Duke, University of Central Florida and Virginia Tech will serve as first-time regional hosts.

In 2021, Oklahoma captured its fifth national title with a 5-1 victory over Florida State in the third game of the NCAA championship series. The Sooners made history by becoming the first team to win six elimination games en route to their third national title in the last five championships.

ESPN will provide coverage from all 16 regional sites on one of the ESPN family of networks. ESPN will televise every game of the Super Regionals, as well as every game during the Women’s College World Series. For details on all future games, including locations, times and networks, visit the NCAA website broadcast info page.

Thirty-two teams automatically qualified for the tournament by winning their conference or conference tournament, while the remaining 32 slots were filled with at-large selections to complete the