‘It’s going to be a battle’ … FSU, Oklahoma square off tonight in WCWS Championship Series

The respect is mutual. The players and coaches are familiar. The competition figures to be incredible.

An NCAA softball tournament field that started nearly three weeks ago with 64 teams is down to two. And if past performances are any indication, these two will put on quite a show over the next two or three days in Oklahoma City.

The Oklahoma Sooners are the No. 1 team in the country with good reason. They are 59-1 on the season, they’ve established a new NCAA record with 51 consecutive victories, they’re gunning for their third consecutive national championship, and they lead the country in several statistical categories.

The Florida State Seminoles are the No. 3 seed and also very worthy of this stage. They’ve won 33 of their last 35 games, they boast an outstanding pitching staff and an aggressive offense, and they have a wealth of experience in this venue — having won the Women’s College World Series championship in 2018 and finishing second to OU in 2021.

Over the last five NCAA tournaments, Oklahoma has recorded 19 WCWS victories, and FSU has registered 14. UCLA, which claimed the 2019 national championship, has won 11. No other team in the country has won more than six.

That offers a glimpse into the pedigree of these two college softball powers.

“I would say the beauty of this team is they never panic and they always believe that whatever the circumstances, they’re going to get through it,” Oklahoma head coach Patty Gasso said. “I think Florida State feels the same way. That’s why I think you’re going to see a really outstanding Championship Series. It will be truly a battle, and there’s a lot of things that are going to be at stake in the way of who can pitch better, who can get the timely hits, all those things.

“This is not run-rule territory here. It’s just going to be fun. I tell you, these players love this stuff. They would rather have a team that looks like them and play against them than anything because we love when people can bring out our best. … We appreciate it because it makes us learn, makes us work.”

On paper, this is an Oklahoma team that doesn’t have many — if any — weaknesses.

The Sooners’ offense leads the country in batting average (.368), scoring (8.22 runs per game) and home runs (115), their defense ranks No. 1 nationally in fielding percentage (.988), and their pitching staff leads the nation in ERA (0.98).

“Every time I’ve faced them, they’ve had an extremely difficult roster,” FSU ace Kathryn Sandercock said. “Definitely keeps you on your toes. But I think it’s just the coolest challenge as a pitcher to put yourself up against the best and see what you’ve got. Really excited to face them, and I think it’s really cool to have some experience playing them before.

“They know me a little bit. I know them a little bit. Yeah, it should be just really fun softball this week.”

FSU (58-9) obviously has plenty of firepower as well. The Seminoles rank 13th in scoring (6.09), ninth in stolen bases with 133, and No. 4 in ERA at 1.59.

Pitching has been Florida State’s calling card all year, and nothing has changed in the postseason. Sandercock has pitched 35.0 innings in the NCAA Tournament, and she has posted a 5-0 record with two saves; she has allowed just three earned runs.

In three games at the World Series, the Seminoles have allowed just two earned runs for a team ERA of 0.70.

“She’s such a competitive pitcher,” Oklahoma star senior Grace Lyons said of Sandercock. “I think we’ve seen a lot of competitive pitchers this year, but she has a really cool way she pitches. She does a lot of different things and keeps hitters on edge. So I think we’re just excited to get her best and Florida State’s best, because it’s going to take a complete team on both sides to win a series.

“It’s not just one pitcher and it’s not just one-hitter on our side or anything like that. So I think we’re excited to bring complete teams on both sides and just compete against each other. I think it’s just going to be a battle.”

Oklahoma and FSU have been evenly matched in the past.

Two years ago in the WCWS championship series, Florida State won the first game, 8-4, and held a 2-1 advantage through five innings in the second before Oklahoma rallied for the win and then clinched the championship in the series finale.

Then when FSU traveled to Norman, Okla., to face the Sooners back in March, the Seminoles came up just short in a 5-4 defeat.

Florida State coach Lonni Alameda has pointed out several times that her Seminole squad is much different today than the one that traveled to face OU and Oklahoma State in March, and Grasso said essentially the same thing about her team.

“It was a good matchup. It was good for fans if you were watching,” the longtime Oklahoma head coach said. “They’re very well coached. They’re hard working. They have some returners who have been through this. So they’re very similar to us.

“Am I surprised that we’re both here? No. … But we’re a different team than we were in March, as are they. So we’re familiar with names and their style, but we’ve got to go back to the drawing board like we haven’t seen them before.”

Tonight’s game is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET on ESPN.

Talk about this story with other die-hard FSU football fans on the Tribal Council.

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