The 2021 Women’s College World Series kicks off in just two days, with college softball returning to its premier stage for the first time in two years. Hall of Fame Stadium in Oklahoma City looks very different now than it did in 2019, the last time the WCWS took place, but fans will be in the stands and some great softball awaits.
Oklahoma, UCLA, and Alabama – the top three seeds through the NCAA tournament – are all part of the WCWS field, but just one other team that was seeded in the top 8 is making the trip to Oklahoma City; that would be the Oklahoma State Cowgirls from nearby Stillwater. Rounding out the field are the Georgia Bulldogs, Arizona Wildcats, Florida State Seminoles, and James Madison Dukes.
Wednesday will see each team practice on the field at Hall of Fame Stadium and coaches will speak to the media for the final time before games kick off on Thursday. As the countdown continues to first pitch of the WCWS, here are names that you need to know from each team that will take the field in Oklahoma City.
Mary Wilson Avant, Georgia
Georgia is in the Women’s College World Series thanks to Avant, after her skill in the circle during the Super Regionals effectively shut down a Florida offense that is known for coming through in the clutch. Avant was also in the circle for UGA’s victory over Oklahoma during the regular season, and she has been the backbone to much of the team’s success throughout this season. If Georgia wants to stick around OKC for a while this week, they’ll continue to rely on Avant and must give her some valuable run support.
Elizabeth Mason, Florida State
The Florida State roster has a number of veterans who still remember what the 2018 National Championship felt like. Mason is one of those vets with experience in Oklahoma City, and she looks to be getting hot at the right time after her game-tying home run against LSU in the Super Regionals. Mason is incredibly reliable at the plate, and if she is, in fact, catching a hot streak, opposing pitchers should look out because she can hit the ball a mile.
Lexi Kilfoyl, Alabama
As good as Montana Fouts is, if the Crimson Tide are truly going to challenge for a World Series title, they need to be able to utilize their depth in the circle. Enter: Kilfoyl. The second-year sophomore has not pitched to the level that she is able through much of this year, but looked sensational in game 2 of the Super Regional against Kentucky. Fouts can beat anybody when she’s on, and if Kilfoyl can record some quality innings, the pair could finally be the deadly 1-2 punch that Tide fans have been waiting to see in full force.
Briana Perez, UCLA
There are a lot of players who could fit this description of a ‘player to watch’ on the UCLA roster, but Perez is an underrated enigma of a player, as odd as that phraseology may be. A veteran infielder, Perez is normally amazingly sure-handed at the shortstop position; during game 1 of the Super Regional, though, she did not play well in the field and the Bruin defense collapsed along with her, ultimately losing the game to Virginia Tech. At the plate, Perez can make some noise with her bat and is cool under pressure. The Bruins need her to be lights-out in the field and “on” at the plate, as their path to a repeat championship is not going to be an easy one.
Shannon Saile, Oklahoma
Where do you want to start in our discussion of the Sooners? OU’s home run barrage is well-documented, but their pitching staff is truly the biggest x-factor at this point in the postseason. We know that Oklahoma can score, and that they can score a lot. Some of the best pitchers in the country – and, possibly, the world – are descending on Oklahoma City this week, and the Sooners won’t be able to automatically tee off against them. There could be some tight games, and that’s where the team’s pitching staff comes into play. The staff has not been at its sharpest this season, though they have been very good, and their job this week will be to keep the other team’s runs at a surmountable level. Saile is a key figure in that effort, as she has really emerged in her role on staff during the last two seasons.
Kiley Naomi, Oklahoma State
Naomi is a spark plug – one of several – for this Oklahoma State team, and she is of immense value to the Cowgirls’ program on both the offensive and defensive sides of the ball. Naomi is fourth on the team with a .353 batting average, third on the team with fourteen home runs, and tied for the team lead with fifteen stolen bases. Her arm and range at the shortstop position are both quality assets, as is her veteran knowledge of the game. She will have a role in any success that Oklahoma State has this week.
Hanah Bowen, Arizona
Some of Arizona’s beat reporters have opined that Bowen has emerged as the Wildcats’ staff ace down the stretch, and she has certainly looked like she is filling that role in some of her performances this year. Early in the season, Arizona’s pitching staff was possibly their biggest indictment but Bowen has looked really solid and has performed incredibly well under pressure over the last few weeks of the regular season and onward. Alyssa Denham and Mariah Lopez are still around, mind you, and the 3-headed pitching monster under Taryne Mowatt’s direction could put the Wildcats in position as a sleeper team this week. But if Bowen can appropriately handle the spotlight of the WCWS, she could be a game-changer all in her own right for Arizona.
Kate Gordon, James Madison
Let’s get this out there on the front end: Kate Gordon is one of the best hitters in the country. Period. That was the case before James Madison proved to be this year’s Cinderella team, and it remains the case now. While Gordon didn’t have the best weekend of her career in the Super Regionals, she is still incredibly dangerous with the bat in her hand and she is a difference-maker in the Dukes’ batting order. Gordon came back for her “super senior” season this year, and the Dukes are exceedingly better for it.
