Primer: UW Huskies softball returns to WCWS for 1st time in 4 years

UW Huskies softball is back in familiar territory: the Women’s College World Series in Oklahoma City.

The Dawgs punched their ticket to the annual championship tournament with a two-game sweep of Louisiana at their home ballpark in Seattle over the weekend. The victory in the Super Regional round gives No. 7 Washington a first-round matchup against a fellow Pac-12 competitor, No. 15 Utah.

This is the 15th trip total to the WCWS for the Huskies and first since 2019. They won the title in 2009, which was current head coach Heather Tarr’s fifth season at the helm.

Here’s a look at some things for UW Huskies fans to know going into the WCWS.

A look at UW Huskies softball

• Offensive leaders

Baylee Klingler, 2B –.388 average, 1.168 OPS, 12 home runs, 47 RBIs
Sami Reynolds, OF – .365 average, 1.027 OPS, 8 home runs, 34 RBIs
Madison Huskey, OF – .327 average, .986 OPS, 11 home runs, 43 RBIs
Jadelyn Allchin, OF – .313 average, .999 OPS, 6 home runs, 19 RBIs

• Pitching leaders

Ruby Meylan – 18-5 record, 2.19 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, 197 strikeouts, 14 complete games
Kelley Lynch – 9-3 record, 2.43 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, 101 strikeouts, 3 complete games
Lindsay Lopez – 13-3 record, 3.49 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, 83 strikeouts, 2 complete games

One last ride at home 💜

Narrated by Madi Huskey, Baylee Klingler, Sami Reynolds, Jadelyn Allchin, Kelley Lynch, Megan Vandegrift, SilentRain Espinoza and Brooke Nelson#MightyAreTheWomen pic.twitter.com/dQ4MLsaF3S

— Washington Softball (@UWSoftball) May 26, 2023

The field

No. 1 Oklahoma is the favorite, as the Sooners not only have won the last two national championships and four out of the last six, but they have won an NCAA Division I record 48 straight games.

Oklahoma State is back in the tournament for a fourth straight year at USA Softball Hall of Fame Stadium, which is about an hour from its campus. Oklahoma, which is located only a half-hour from the stadium, is playing in its eighth straight WCWS.

In addition to UW and Utah, No. 9 Stanford is also headed to Oklahoma City, giving the Pac-12 three teams in the Women’s College World Series, the most out of any conference.

The Huskies, as you may know, needed to come back from a six-run deficit in the seventh inning against McNeese in the Regional round to stay alive and advance to last weekend’s Super Regionals.

Related: Comeback for the ages? Just part of UW Huskies softball team’s identity

The schedule

All games airing on ESPN unless otherwise noted

Click here for the full WCWS schedule

• Thursday, June 1

Postponed due to weather

• Friday, June 2
Game 4 – UW Huskies vs. Utah, 10 a.m. (makeup from Thursday)
Game 6 – Elimination game: Loser of Game 4 vs. No. 6 Oklahoma State, 6:30 p.m.

• Saturday, June 3

Game 8 – Quarterfinals: Winner of Game 4 vs. No. 3 Florida State, 4 p.m.

• Sunday, June 4

Game 9 – Quarterfinals: Winner of Game 8 vs. Winner of Game 5 (Tennessee/Alabama/Oklahoma/Stanford), noon on ABC

or

Game 10 – Elimination game: Winner of Game 6 vs. Loser of Game 7 (Tennessee/Alabama/Oklahoma/Stanford), 4 p.m.

• Monday, June 5

Game 11 – Semifinals: Winner of Game 9 vs. Winner of Game 7, 9 a.m.
Game 12 – If Winner of Game 9 wins Game 11: Rematch, 11:30 a.m.

or

Game 13 – Semifinals: Winner of Game 8 vs. Winner of Game 10, 4 p.m.
Game 14 – If Winner of Game 10 wins Game 13: Rematch, 6:30 p.m.

• Championship Series (best of three)

Wednesday, June 7 – 5 p.m.
Thursday, June 8 – 4:30 p.m.
Friday, June 9 – 5 p.m. (if necessary)

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