The road to the 2023 Women’s Collegiate World Championship has begun, and consecutive national champion Oklahoma unanimously leads in the pre-season polls.
Despite losing to home run queen Jocelyn Alo and ace Hope Trautwein, the Sooners return with star quarterbacks Tiare Jennings and Grace Lyons, as well as pitching phenomenon Jordy Bahl. In addition, coach Patty Gasso is active on the transfer portal.
Can anyone stop the Sooners? UCLA, who lost to the Sooners in the semifinals last year, were the last non-OU team to win the WCWS. The Bruins return Pac-12 pitchers of the year Megan Faraimo and Maya Brady, who had 15 home runs and 53 RBIs last year.
Oklahoma State and Texas also made it to the WCWS semifinals a year ago, with the Longhorns being the national runner-up and these two teams also among the top 10 in the nation.
The state of Florida returns ace Kathryn Sandercock, and Florida is the favorite in a crowded SEC that includes Alabama, Arkansas and Tennessee.
Sure, the season has only just begun, but we’re less than three months away from the start of the NCAA tournament and less than four months until the WCWS in Oklahoma City.
We asked college softball experts how good Oklahoma can be, who can dethrone the Sooners, and which players will stand out on the diamond this season.
Move in:
Oklahoma’s Dynasty | Who can stop OU?
surprise choice | Top Newcomers
choose POY | WCWS prediction
How good is this Oklahoma team compared to the past two championship years?
Jenny Dalton-Hill: Oklahoma has found a way to manage squad depth, bench consistency, 1 to 9 strength and continues to attract the best talent from the transfer window each season. . Jordy Bahl and Tiare Jennings will lead in numbers for this 2023 roster, but when it comes to players in their chosen positions, Cydney Sanders and Haley Lee out the gate will take the on-court positions with sticks. Power and talent freshman Jocelyn Erickson will learn from the star catchers ahead of her while poised to anchor behind the plate. I’m curious to see who will step up as second in the circle. Will it be Alex Storako moving to Michigan or will Nicole May claim those innings? Needless to say, the competitors won’t be able to relax just because some of the big names have graduated. If anything, new hungry talent has entered the ring, and Oklahoma will still come out on top.
Madison Shipman: I think this year’s Oklahoma team can play as well as last year’s team. Bahl enters Year 2 healthy with a full season of experience. Adding Sanders and Lee will help fuel already established offenses like Grace Lyons and Jennings.
Kayla Braud: Ditto for everything listed above. What sets Oklahoma apart is their depth. Jayda Coleman is possibly one of the most electronic players in the game to watch, from her cane to her ability to make big plays off the field; She is an incredible athlete. Lyon is the best stop in the game, and she swings a good stick. This team has everything as good or better than last season.
Michelle Smith: Oklahoma has experience and experience winning games. The Sooners have depth. They have power — not as much as last year, but increased power in big situations. They have a complete pitching staff, and if they are healthy, this team can three peat.
Amanda Scarborough: Oklahoma has reloaded the jackpot in possibly the best transfer portal we’ve seen since the transfer portal began with Alynah Torres, Haley Lee, Alex Storako and Cydney Sanders. Not only do they have one of the scariest batting teams in the country, but they also have one of the best pitchers and one of the best catchers in the country, Kinzie Hansen. This is a team that is still hungry, full of strength and knows how to win.
Which team has the best chance of ending OU’s reign?
train driver: UCLA is the team with the best chance of beating OU. Its experience in the circle with Megan Faraimo and Brooke Yanez, and its depth of attack make UCLA a tough team to beat.
Braud: I like UCLA as a leading contender to beat OU, as the Bruins have also taken advantage of some of the major attractions in the transfer portal to give them more visibility in the circle with Brooke Yanez from Oregon , a locksmith from Arizona in Sharlize Palacios and another weapon in the field in Janelle Meono. However, do not sleep on the State of Florida. The Seminoles will go hungry after missing last year’s super zone and bolster their pitch with seven picks for coach Lonni Alameda in ’23, led by Kathryn Sandercock.
Blacksmith: UCLA will most likely face OU in the championship series. Faraimo has a great work ethic, she has worked over the past two years to get the best out of her life. Her combination of speed might be enough to take away the power of the OU.
Scarborough: Since others have chosen UCLA, which will also be my #1 choice, I will also include the State of Oklahoma in the mix. OSU is a very experienced team at WCWS and has one of the best pitchers in the country, if not Kelly Maxwell. Adding Lexi Kilfoyl from Alabama, who looks completely different from Maxwell, to their staff is one of the biggest perks of the season.
Which team do you think can surprise the world of softball?
Dalton Hill: I’m very happy to meet Wichita Bang. With graduation with little impact compared to last year’s list, the Shockers are poised to make a big splash. The speed, power and averages from Sydney McKinney and Addison Barnard at the top of the lineup will lead the way for the Shockers, who will be looking to live up to their moniker: Shock. This team had great numbers last season, and now they have the experience and seniority at the top.
train driver: I think Ole Miss can surprise the world of softball. The Rebels have selected great players through the transfer portal such as Mya Stevenson, Savanna Sikes, Jenna Lord and Makenna Kliethermes who will make a big impact this season.
Braud: Georgia returns one of its best fouls and has a great shot at running away in the post-season with its bats. The key to its greatest success will lie in the circle. Georgia will need help from the transfer of Shelby Walters if it hopes to make waves in the SEC.
Blacksmith: I believe Georgia will do well in the SEC with the addition of Shelby Walters to the circle and Dawgs has always done well. I think Maryland will surprise in the Big Ten. The Terps are a very good attacking team and have some good arms in the circle and they are hungry for a successful season. Among the mid-tier leagues, Louisiana has an excellent pitching staff and will be sought after in every game.
Scarborough: I think the University of North Texas might surprise some people this year. Mean Green has been on the radar and is getting stronger with each year that Rodney DeLong is their head coach. They hit 71 home runs last year and brought in many of their top players like Kailey Gamble, Molly Rainey and Kalei Christensen. Plus, Ashley Peters is a talented film festival and a name you need to know.
Which newcomer will have the biggest impact?
train driver: I believe Brooke Yanez will have the biggest impact on UCLA. She has several years of experience and is left-handed, she will have a completely different look from Megan Faraimo in the circle. The Faraimo-Yanez combination in the circle will be difficult for the opposing players to prepare.
Braud: Kristina Foreman could be the difference-maker for the Arkansas Razorbacks, the team that lost most of their offensive output from a year ago (Danielle Gibson, KB Sides, Linnie Malkin, Taylor Ellsworth and Hannah McEwen). Moving on from Duke, she hit 0.398 with 15 HR last season.
Blacksmith: Lexi Kilfoyl at OSU. She’s doing damage in the roster and would be a great addition to Kelly Maxwell to keep her strong when the season comes to an end. They are a great 1-2 punch for the Cowgirls.
Scarborough: Payton Gottshall of Tennessee is from Bowling Green, where she was twice MAC Voter of the Year, has a 1.78 career ERA and nearly 800 blows. She can bring experience and depth to a Tennessee pitcher behind an American-born who has battled trauma throughout her career, Ashley Rogers.
Who will win Player of the Year?
Dalton Hill: I like the look of Tiare Jennings. She’s put up huge offensive numbers in her first two seasons, and with Alo going unnoticed, Jennings will still put up those numbers and possibly win the POY title. I’ve never seen a player in their first two seasons put out the RBI numbers she has. She’s on track to break my RBI record.
train driver: Jordy Bahl is my prediction. We’ve seen how dominant she can be in the circle (1.09 ERA, opponent hit average 0.145) and it looks like we’ll see more of her in the lineup in this season. After all, she hit 20 home runs and 55 RBIs as a high school student.
Braud: If it wasn’t for Tiare Jennings, then I’d give her nod to her teammate Haley Lee, who moved from Texas A&M and whose support in the Sooners offense could really strengthen the indicators. her number.
Scarborough: Kelly Maxwell has some of the best in the game. She can be dominant, rogue, and potentially take over a game and a season in the circle. Many times, the pitcher has won the POY, and with Alo winning it two years in a row, the odds say it’s time for the pitcher to win the prize again.
What is your WCWS prediction?
Dalton Hill: UCLA is likely back in the championship game. The additions in the circle to help Megan Faraimo are very effective, but the Bruins need to prove themselves soon and stay healthy. In addition, adding transferable Sharlize Palacios behind the plate is exactly what the Bruins need to boost their scoring ability. If the Bruins reach their full potential, this could be another magical year for them. However, coming to the championship game and winning it all are two different things. In the end, I see Oklahoma winning all over again.
train driver: I think there’s a good chance we’ll meet UCLA and Oklahoma in the championship series.
Braud: After being eliminated a year ago, I think the ACC will bring some teams back to WCWS. I’m looking at Clemson and FSU specifically.
Blacksmith: UCLA and OU in the championship series. OU won it in three games.
Scarborough: Me and Kayla; ACC’s strength is growing and I think ACC for the first time has more teams participating, such as FSU and Clemson. Virginia Tech has also been building year after year since Pete D’Amour took over, and the Hokies have one of the best young pitchers Emma Lemley can do with absolute domination. I know I also said many ACC teams attended WCWS last year and were wrong (sorry!), but I think this is the year they did it.
