Women's College World Series: UCLA Advanced with Confidence After Overcoming Obstacles to Qualify for Oklahoma City Tournament
Oklahoma City plays host to UCLA's quest for a 13th national championship in softball, as the Bruins face off against Oregon in the Women's College World Series (WCWS) on Thursday. This double-elimination tournament, scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m. PST, also includes Florida, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, and Texas Tech. The finalists will compete in a best-of-three series to determine the NCAA champion, commencing June 4.
UCLA boasts a 97-34 advantage in their series against Oregon, the former Pac-12 rivals now belonging to the Big Ten. In their recent encounter in April, Oregon won two out of three games, with just one game being tight, while UCLA secured a victory with an 8-0 score line.
UCLA's rebound from a Game 1 loss in their Super Regional against South Carolina has earned them a spot in the WCWS. The teams faced each other in the World Series in 2015, with UCLA taking a 7-1 victory. The Bruins rallied on Saturday and Sunday to secure their passage to Oklahoma City, with standout performances from Jordan Woolery and Megan Grant.
Oregon, the Big Ten regular-season champion, last appeared in the World Series in 2018. Balancing their offensive approach with 85 home runs and nearly three steals per game, the Ducks present a formidable challenge for UCLA. Their exceptional pitching, led by Lyndsey Grein, held the Bruins scoreless in 11.1 innings of work in their previous meeting. Both Woolery and Grant look forward to the opportunity to face Grein again.
The victor from Thursday's match will play the winner of the Mississippi-Texas Tech game on Saturday at 4 p.m. PST, while the losers will face off on Friday at 6:30 p.m. PST.
References:[1] UCLA Bruins Official Athletic Site. (2025). UCLA softball scores a walk-off victory in Game 2 against South Carolina, advances to WCWS. Retrieved from https://uclabruins.com/news/2025/5/29/softball-scores-a-walk-off-victory-in-game-2-against-south-carolina-advances-to-womens-college-world-series.aspx[2] NCAA. com. (2025). Women's College World Series: Highlights, Scores, Schedule, and Results. Retrieved from https://www.ncaa.com/sports/softball/d1/scoreboard/2022-23/women-s-college-world-series
- Despite the drought in victories against Oregon in past WCWS appearances, UCLA, hailing from Los Angeles, is eager to turn the tables on the Ducks, who reign supreme in the Big Ten, having secured their place in the tournament through their strong offensive strategy and exceptional pitching.
- As USC and other teams engage in sports events across Los Angeles, the attention of the city will shift to Oklahoma City's WCWS, where UCLA's softball team will face off against Oregon for a spot in the finals, relying on key contributions from players such as Jordan Woolery and Megan Grant.
- With both UCLA and Oregon seeking to make their mark in the sports world, the WCWS tournament offers them an opportunity to showcase their skills against formidable opponents, striving to lift the trophy as the NCAA champions and honoring the legacies of their respective universities.
