The 2022 Women’s College World Series will begin on Thursday, with seven teams having the opportunity to thwart the repeat of the first-seeded Oklahoma.
It would be an understatement to say that the Snurs dominate. They dominated their opponents on their way to the 54-2 record in 38 out of 56 games this season. They lead the country in batting average, scoring and ERA. And we’re proud of Joslyn Alo’s home run queen, who has made home runs in four of the five NCAA tournament games so far.
The Caesars Sportsbook has Sooners with -350 odds to win everything. The field is at +270.
Sooners’ repeat bids begin with a match against Northwestern University’s 9th Seed (2:30 pm, ESPN / ESPN App). If they win, they will play the winner of Texas and No. 5 UCLA (Noon ET, ESPN / ESPN App).
On the other side of the bracket, Oregon faces 14th Florida (7pm ET, ESPN / ESPN app) and Arizona faces 7th Oklahoma (9:30 pm ET, ESPN / ESPN app). Facing.
Can someone prevent Oklahoma from winning it all again? Can any of the three unseeded teams (most often in a single WCWS) shock the world? Analysts make WCWS predictions.
Which team was the most surprised to participate in WCWS?
Michelle Miss: Oregon and Arizona. Both teams played the best ball of the year at the end of the season. It’s always a big factor in reaching WCWS. Oregon, beating Tennessee on the road, shows how good the beaver is.
Jennie Dalton-Hill: If I asked me 5 weeks ago and said that Arizona would make a WCWS, I wouldn’t believe you. After all, they were wiped out to start playing Pac-12 and were in the final position. Caitlin Lowe is a wizard who not only understands how to get the most out of this team, but also does it in the first year of commanding on behalf of Mike Candrea.
Amanda Scarborough: I’m most surprised that Oregon has reached WCWS.Beaver was one of the last four teams in the tournament When They had to play regional and super regional on the road. The biggest surprise to me was when they defeated No. 11 Tennessee, and they haven’t looked back since then.
Jen Schroeder: My name is Arizona. For me, that’s because they lost the first eight games in conference play. Selection Sunday is watching at WCWS as they have been waiting for their name to be called.
What is the difference between this year’s Oklahoma team and last year’s team?
Smith: I think the pitching is more stable this year, but due to Jordy Buijs’ injury, they need to be more dependent on the attack. Believe it or not, their attacks are even better this year than last year’s amazing attack team. It’s blowing.
Dalton Hill: This year’s team has few home runs, but has a lot of maturity and experience. They have less experience in circles, but they are a milder attack that you don’t have to panic. Their two defeats taught them the lessons needed to be a complete team, which shows it. Wow if they get Jordy Bahl back!
Scarborough: Their pitching staff. Last year, their ERA was 2.49. This year, their ERA is an astonishing 0.80. They haven’t given up on many runs, and interestingly, they’re running production is * tick * down. Last year it averaged 10.6 runs per game, but this year it’s 9.19 runs per game clip. (Both are very good.)
Schroder: This year’s Oklahoma pitching depth makes them a difficult team to face in the postseason. The ERA of the top three arms is less than 1.00 each.
Who is most likely to prevent the Snurs from repeating?
Smith: UCLA and / or Oklahoma. Oklahoma State University has seen OU pitching in four games this year. And if Megan Faraimo is on fire, Bruins can be a tough game for the Snurs.
Dalton Hill: No one can catch up with pitching and defense. You must be able to catch up with their attacks. This group can score-and score a lot. It shows that two teams can beat once, but no one can beat them twice.
Scarborough: I think Oklahoma is the best chance. Kelly Maxwell, who participates in the WCWS, has thrown out the lights and has not allowed him to participate in the NCAA tournament. Cowgirls are also confident that they know they have beaten them before and know them well.
Schroder: I think UCLA has the best chance to stop the Snurs from repeating. Both Megan Faraimo and Holly Azebed have won 20. This is the ninth time in the history of the program that we have a teammate with 20 wins. And who doesn’t want a spectacular rematch of the 2019 Championship series?
Who will be the last two teams?
Dalton Hill: UCLA-I want to see the finals in Arizona. They competed in the championship seven times ago, four of which won Arizona, but eventually one of the final teams will be Oklahoma.
Scarborough: With the turmoil already going on in this postseason, there’s absolutely no way to say it! But the Oklahoma-Oklahoma final will certainly be intriguing.
Schroder: If this is a postseason where chalk is held on both sides of the bracket, I choose Oklahoma-Oklahoma.But this postseason none so. We could see Oklahoma defeat UCLA with the winner’s bracket and UCLA advance to the championship series as the bracket flipped. It’s also not surprising to see the match between Oklahoma and Florida. In any case, what I learned this postseason is to anticipate the unexpected.
