We're on the road to Devon Park in Oklahoma City and the Women's College World Series.
For the first time since 2019, the Oklahoma Sooners are not entering the NCAA softball tournament as the No. 1 overall seed. No worries for coach Patty Gasso and Co. The three-time defending champions are the No. 2 overall seed, while Texas takes top billing.
The 64-team tournament begins Friday and we'll exit the weekend with 16 teams headed for super regionals and then a final eight teams for the WCWS in OKC. Each round is a double-elimination format.
Here's how writers from across the USA Today Sports Network have made their picks for the winner of each regional and who will win the WCWS.
Austin Regional
- Ryan Aber, The Oklahoman: Texas
- Cora Hall, Knoxville News-Sentinel: Texas
- Thomas Jones, Austin American-Statesman: Texas
- Noah Ram, The Gainesville Sun: Texas
- Scott Wright, The Oklahoman: Texas
College Station Regional
- Ryan Aber, The Oklahoman: Texas State
- Cora Hall, Knoxville News-Sentinel: Texas A&M
- Thomas Jones, Austin American-Statesman: Texas State
- Noah Ram, The Gainesville Sun: Texas State
- Scott Wright, The Oklahoman: Texas A&M
Stanford Regional
- Ryan Aber, The Oklahoman: Stanford
- Cora Hall, Knoxville News-Sentinel: Stanford
- Thomas Jones, Austin American-Statesman: Stanford
- Noah Ram, The Gainesville Sun: Stanford
- Scott Wright, The Oklahoman: Stanford
Baton Rouge Regional
- Ryan Aber, The Oklahoman: LSU
- Cora Hall, Knoxville News-Sentinel: LSU
- Thomas Jones, Austin American-Statesman: LSU
- Noah Ram, The Gainesville Sun: LSU
- Scott Wright, The Oklahoman: LSU
Stillwater Regional
- Ryan Aber, The Oklahoman: Oklahoma State
- Cora Hall, Knoxville News-Sentinel: Michigan
- Thomas Jones, Austin American-Statesman: Oklahoma State
- Noah Ram, The Gainesville Sun: Oklahoma State
- Scott Wright, The Oklahoman: Oklahoma State
Fayetteville Regional
- Ryan Aber, The Oklahoman: Arkansas
- Cora Hall, Knoxville News-Sentinel: Arizona
- Thomas Jones, Austin American-Statesman: Arizona
- Noah Ram, The Gainesville Sun: Arizona
- Scott Wright, The Oklahoman: Arizona
Lafayette Regional
- Ryan Aber, The Oklahoman: Louisiana
- Cora Hall, Knoxville News-Sentinel: Louisiana
- Thomas Jones, Austin American-Statesman: Louisiana
- Noah Ram, The Gainesville Sun: Baylor
- Scott Wright, The Oklahoman: Baylor
Gainesville Regional
- Ryan Aber, The Oklahoman: Florida
- Cora Hall, Knoxville News-Sentinel: Florida
- Thomas Jones, Austin American-Statesman: Florida
- Noah Ram, The Gainesville Sun: Florida
- Scott Wright, The Oklahoman: Florida
Knoxville Regional
- Ryan Aber, The Oklahoman: Tennessee
- Cora Hall, Knoxville News-Sentinel: Tennessee
- Thomas Jones, Austin American-Statesman: Tennessee
- Noah Ram, The Gainesville Sun: Tennessee
- Scott Wright, The Oklahoman: Tennessee
Tuscaloosa Regional
- Ryan Aber, The Oklahoman: Clemson
- Cora Hall, Knoxville News-Sentinel: Clemson
- Thomas Jones, Austin American-Statesman: Clemson
- Noah Ram, The Gainesville Sun: Alabama
- Scott Wright, The Oklahoman: Alabama
Athens Regional
- Ryan Aber, The Oklahoman: Georgia
- Cora Hall, Knoxville News-Sentinel: Charlotte
- Thomas Jones, Austin American-Statesman: Georgia
- Noah Ram, The Gainesville Sun: Charlotte
- Scott Wright, The Oklahoman: Georgia
Los Angeles Regional
- Ryan Aber, The Oklahoman: UCLA
- Cora Hall, Knoxville News-Sentinel: Virginia Tech
- Thomas Jones, Austin American-Statesman: UCLA
- Noah Ram, The Gainesville Sun: UCLA
- Scott Wright, The Oklahoman: UCLA
Columbia Regional
- Ryan Aber, The Oklahoman: Washington
- Cora Hall, Knoxville News-Sentinel: Missouri
- Thomas Jones, Austin American-Statesman: Missouri
- Noah Ram, The Gainesville Sun: Missouri
- Scott Wright, The Oklahoman: Washington
Durham Regional
- Ryan Aber, The Oklahoman: Duke
- Cora Hall, Knoxville News-Sentinel: Duke
- Thomas Jones, Austin American-Statesman: Duke
- Noah Ram, The Gainesville Sun: Duke
- Scott Wright, The Oklahoman: Duke
Tallahassee Regional
- Ryan Aber, The Oklahoman: Florida State
- Cora Hall, Knoxville News-Sentinel: Florida State
- Thomas Jones, Austin American-Statesman: Auburn
- Noah Ram, The Gainesville Sun: Auburn
- Scott Wright, The Oklahoman: Florida State
Norman Regional
- Ryan Aber, The Oklahoman: Oklahoma
- Cora Hall, Knoxville News-Sentinel: Oklahoma
- Thomas Jones, Austin American-Statesman: Oklahoma
- Noah Ram, The Gainesville Sun: Oklahoma
- Scott Wright, The Oklahoman: Oklahoma
WCWS winner
Ryan Aber, The Oklahoman: Oklahoma. The Sooners are more vulnerable than they’ve been in several years but their win over Texas in the Big 12 Tournament final showed OU still has plenty of firepower. They’ve got a deep lineup, solid if not overwhelming pitching, strong defense and the home-field advantage throughout the tournament.
Cora Hall, Knoxville News-Sentinel: Tennessee. The Lady Vols are as talented and balanced as they have ever been. With the lethal pitching duo they have, and the consistency across the board they’ve shown all season, they are capable of winning the first national title in softball for UT.
Thomas Jones, Austin American-Statesman: Texas. From pitching options to a loaded lineup, this Longhorn squad seems to have it all. I expect to see a fifth matchup with Oklahoma in the championship game, and the Sooners can’t win an unprecedented fourth consecutive national title, can they?
Noah Ram, The Gainesville Sun: Florida. Call it a homer pick if you must, and sure, picking the Gators is going out on a little bit of a limb. But with Oklahoma not as dominant this season, I’m going with the hottest team in the field, and that’s Florida. UF has won eight in a row and outscored opponents in the SEC Tournament 22-8, a tournament for the toughest conference in college softball. The Gators have the best offense in the country and an absolute ace in Keegan Rothrock. They need fellow freshman Ava Brown to step up behind her, but if she does, this Florida squad will be the team to beat in OKC.
Scott Wright, The Oklahoman: Oklahoma. The Sooners regrouped after a pair of losses to their Bedlam rivals, then ran through the Big 12 Tournament. Sure, they have a few more losses than usual, but they have the firepower in the lineup and the experience on the pitching staff to go the distance again. And until someone dethrones the queens of softball, they are the rulers.
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