May 29, 2025 - 16:41
By espn.com

2025 WCWS preview: Strengths and weaknesses for every team - ESPN

The 2025 NCAA softball tournament has had something for everyone.

Do you like upsets? Well, for the first time, the tournament's overall No. 1 seed (Texas A&M) was knocked out before the super regionals. Three unseeded teams took top-7 seeds to a third game in the super regionals, too. Do you like star power and chalk instead? Well, despite the upsets above, four-time defending national champion Oklahoma has scorched its way through the postseason, and annual contenders like Florida and Texas have advanced as well.

Do you like drama? Texas and UCLA have had you covered. Both teams lost Game 1 of their super regionals and were in serious trouble late in Game 2 before saving themselves in absurd fashion and then winning Game 3.

Do you like pitching? Texas Tech's NiJaree Canady and Tennessee's Karlyn Pickens are comfortably the two best pitchers in the country and have more than looked the part in the postseason. Do you like home runs? Oklahoma, Ole Miss, Texas and Oregon can't stop hitting them.

Now, after a couple of breathless weekends, it's time for the Women's College World Series. One side of the Oklahoma City bracket will give us some epic heavyweight matchups — Oklahoma versus Tennessee and Florida versus Texas — while the other half of the bracket has fallen apart, providing intriguing opportunities for either World Series newcomers (Texas Tech, Ole Miss), an explosive Oregon team or the oldest of old-time heavyweights (UCLA). How will a wild postseason conclude? Let's steel ourselves by looking at the strengths and (relative) weaknesses of each team remaining in the field.

Record: 50-7
Head coach: Patty Gasso (1565-359-2 career)
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