OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Georgia upset two-time defending national champion Florida in the Super Regionals, immediately adding a layer of intrigue to the Women's College World Series.
"Obviously, Florida is a great program," Georgia coach Lu-Harris Champer said. "We were happy that we competed well against them and earned our way here. But as the field is, it's anybody's ballgame. Whoever is playing their best ball and is hot right now will be the team that comes out on top."
Georgia is the lowest-seeded team remaining in the field, but the Bulldogs take some talent into their opener against Florida State Thursday at ASA Hall of Fame Stadium in Oklahoma City. Freshman infielder Alyssa DiCarlo and outfielder Sydni Emanuel were first-team all-Southeastern Conference selections, and infielders Tina Iosefa and Alex Hugo, outfielder/infielder Cortni Emanuel and pitcher Chelsea Wilkinson were named to the second team.
Three other games will be played Thursday in the double-elimination tournament that concludes with a best-of-three final.
Oklahoma, whose campus is 25 miles from the stadium, will face rival Alabama. The Crimson Tide eliminated Oklahoma in Super Regionals last year. This year, the third-seeded Sooners will seek their third national title. Alabama won the national championship in 2012.
Michigan, last year's national runner-up, will play LSU. The second-seeded Wolverines are the highest-seeded team remaining in the tournament. Michigan beat LSU last year to advance to the championship series.
Auburn faces UCLA in a rematch of last year's four-hour classic that saw the Tigers eliminate UCLA with an 11-10 victory in 10 innings.
"I didn't want to stop playing, it didn't matter how long," UCLA coach Kelly Inouye-Perez said, recalling last year's game. "But I think it's just a great example of two teams that were playing down to the last pitch. Didn't like that we ended it the way that we did, so it's a great opportunity for us to continue to compete."
Here are some things to watch in the tournament:
PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Michigan infielder Sierra Romero was named the Amateur Softball Association/USA Softball National Collegiate Player of the Year on Tuesday. The senior ranks in the top 10 nationally with a .465 batting average, 19 home runs and a .585 on-base percentage, and is in the top five with 77 RBIs and a .916 slugging percentage. She already owns NCAA career records in runs (300) and grand slams (11) and has 301 career hits and 304 career RBIs.
AUBURN'S STAR: Kasey Cooper, a finalist for the player of the year award that Romero won, had a standout year, too. She ranks third nationally with 76 RBIs, fifth in walks per game, sixth in on base percentage, seventh in slugging percentage and ninth with 19 home runs. The infielder was the SEC Player of the Year and earned a spot on the All-Defensive team. She is among the nation's active career leaders in walks, RBI, slugging percentage and home runs.
OTHER HITTERS: Among the hitters to keep an eye on: Oklahoma's Erin Miller, the Big 12's co-player of the year; Oklahoma's Caleigh Clifton, Alabama's Haylie McCleney, Leona Lefele and Chandler Dare; Auburn's Jade Rhodes, one of the nation's best home run hitters; Auburn's Emily Carosone, the SEC Tournament MVP for the second straight year; Florida State's Alex Powers, the ACC Player of the Year; LSU's Bianka Bell, an All-SEC performer, Michigan's Sierra Lawrence, who ranks in the top three nationally in runs per game, and Kelsey Susalla, and UCLA's Allexis Bennett and Delaney Spaulding.
PITCHERS TO WATCH: Florida State's Jessica Burroughs threw two no-hitters this season, collected more than 200 strikeouts and was ACC Pitcher of the Year. Michigan's Megan Betsa was Big Ten Pitcher of the Year for the second straight year and averages 10.8 strikeouts per seven innings. Oklahoma's Paige Parker was the Big 12's pitcher of the year for the second straight season after leading the conference in strikeouts and opponent batting average. Alabama's Alexis Osorio and Sydney Littlejohn are capable of shutting teams down.
SEC DOMINANCE: Half of the teams are from the Southeastern Conference — Auburn, Alabama, LSU and Georgia. The conference has won three of the past four national titles.
