Here’s everything you need to know ahead of the 2024 Women’s College World Series matchup between No. 2 Oklahoma and No. 4 Florida.
GAME INFO
Location: OGE Energy Field at Devon Park | Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Time: Monday, June 3 | 11:00 a.m. CT | ESPN (If-necessary game, 1:30 p.m. CT)
Records: Oklahoma (56-6); Florida (53-14)
Rankings: Oklahoma (No. 2 Seed); Florida (No. 4 Seed)
Last Game: Oklahoma def. UCLA, 1-0; Florida def. Alabama, 6-4
WCWS HISTORY
OKLAHOMA SOONERS
- Appearances: 21 (Eight consecutive appearances dating back to 2016)
- Championships: 7 (2000, ’13, ’16, ’17, ’21, ’22, ’23)
- All-Time NCAA Tournament Record: 162-54 (.750)
- All-Time WCWS Record: 50-23 (.685)
FLORIDA GATORS
- Appearances: 12 (All under Tim Walton)
- Championships: 2
- All-Time NCAA Record: 109-54 (.669)
- All-Time WCWS Record: 29-21 (.580)
KEY PLAYERS
OKLAHOMA SOONERS
LHP Kelly Maxwell, Gr.
Kelly Maxwell is fresh off the best performance of her time at Oklahoma, and perhaps her career, after blanking the UCLA Bruins in a complete game shutout on Saturday. Maxwell surrendered just two hits with three walks and a career-high 11 strikeouts against the Bruins, holding them to just 2-of-23 (.087) at the plate. While there’s a chance that she won’t be the one in the circle to start on Monday, if things get scary, she’ll be the name OU turns to.
INF Tiare Jennings, Sr.
There aren’t many players in softball history who have the career that Tiare Jennings does as her time in college comes to a close. Jennings’ solo home run was the decisive score in the Sooners’ 1-0 win over UCLA, as the senior went 2-for-4 at the plate in a game that had just six hits total. With a WCWS career record of 30 RBIs, Jennings is as likely as any player for OU to get things rolling at the plate in this one.
FLORIDA GATORS
C Jocelyn Erickson, So.
Florida catcher Jocelyn Erickson is coming off a regular season that earned her the 2024 SEC Player of the Year, leading the Gators and ranking second nationally with 84 RBIs. The Oklahoma transfer ranks third on the team in batting average (.384) but is also one of the best defensive players in the country as well. In the Gators’ 6-4 win over Alabama on Sunday, Erickson blasted a three-run homer to give UF the lead for good.
INF Skylar Wallace, Sr.
Skylar Wallace was named the 2023 NFCA Player of the Year, among dozens of other accolades, and remains one of the top players in the nation this year. She is among the best infielders in the country and leads the Gators in OPS (1.328) and slugging (.774), but ranks second on the team in several statistics, including average (.409) and RBI (67).
KEY STORYLINE
Can Oklahoma Avoid Playing a Scary If-Necessary Game?
When Florida is hot at the plate, they are among the most dangerous teams in America. Since they arrived in Oklahoma City, however, the Gators have struggled to get things going. Despite their six-run effort against Alabama on Sunday, Florida has gone a combined 13-of-66 (.197) at the plate and has just seven runs through three games.
If Oklahoma can keep their offense from warming up in Game 1, the Sooners should be able to do enough against the Gators’ pitching staff to move on. However, if UF gets going at the plate all bets are off. On top of that, if the Sooners are forced to play an if-necessary game, it’s a lose-lose situation. First and foremost, there is no guarantee that they get past Florida if they have to play back-to-back games. And secondly, if they have to play that if-necessary game, that’s one less fresh arm that they’ll have going into the Championship Series.
PREDICTION: SOONERS WIN, 6-2
There are so many ways that this game could go, but going off of what I’ve seen from both teams to this point, I have a feeling we’ll see OU put up enough run support to keep whoever is in the circle from being in any real danger. I don’t see a blowout by any means, but it does feel like a situation where Oklahoma should win fairly comfortably.
