Florida Gators

BRACKET ONE 
TEXAS A&M vs FLORIDA, noon 
LSU vs UCLA, 2:30 p.m. 

FLORIDA 
Seed: 1
Record: 55-8
Buzz: The fact the Gators were taken to elimination games in both their home regional (against Oklahoma State) and Super Regional (Alabama) was cause for angst among the faithful UF softball fans. Coach Tim Walton, though, liked his chances of trotting out either Kelly Barnhill (24-3, 0.36 ERA), Delanie Gourley (21-4, 0.67) or a combination of both in a third game. For good reason, as both demonstrated. Barnhill, named Tuesday night as USA Collegiate Softball Player of the Year, is capable of leading the team to its third WCWS title in four seasons (ala Hannah Rogers and Lauren Haeger before her), but the Gators also know they'll need more offensive help than Amanda Lorenz and an occasional hit by someone else. UF hit .302 in the regular season, but is just .229 in postseason, including .167 in Supers when Lorenz had five of her team's 11 hits. 

UCLA 
Seed: 5 
Record: 47-13 
Buzz: Simply put, this is a team of mashers. The Bruins put on the most impressive regional and Super performances of any team in OKC, going 5-0 over the two weekends and combining for 36 runs. They are an offensive-heavy bunch, especially at the top of the order where the 1-through-4 hitters — Delaney Spaulding, Kylee Perez, Madeline Jelenicki and Brianna Tautalafua — average eight total bases a game. UCLA's 1.27 homers per game ranks third-most in the nation. UCLA has hit a home run in 11 straight games, including four of the games with at least three. 
  TEXAS A&M
Seed: 9 
Record: 47-11
Buzz: The Aggies didn't play Alabama, Auburn, Florida or LSU during the regular season, but proved to be battle-tested enough to go to Knoxville and stun the Volunteers in Game 3 of their Super matchup. A&M does not have a so-called "go-to" starter, but rather a tandem in Samantha Show and Trinity Harrington who have shown they're capable of grinding out tough wins — though also capable of getting knocked around. The Aggies managed to advance to OKC despite the Volunteers plating 16 runs over three games. 

LSU 
Seed: 13 
Record: 47-20
Buzz: Neither Carley Hoover (15-7, 1.11 ERA) nor Allie Walljasper (17-5, 1.37) have eye-popping numbers, but together they held opponents to just 1.9 runs per game in NCAA play and got here by going to Tallahassee and jettisoning the favored Seminoles. Five of the eight NCAA games the Tigers have played have been while facing elimination. They're still around. Throw in last season and LSU has won nine elimination games over the span. That speaks to the program's resolve. LSU scored at least five runs in four of its six NCAA games to date. 
   
BRACKET 2 
WASHINGTON VS OREGON, 7 p.m. 
BAYLOR VS OKLAHOMA, 9:30 p.m. 

WASHINGTON 
Seed: 6 
Record: 48-12
Buzz: The Huskies gave up some runs in their three-game Super Regional win over Utah, including a 9-8 loss in the second game. They also scored some. In addition to those eight in defeat, Washington won Game 1 by the count of 10-4, then took the rubber 2-1. Sophomore Taran Alvelo pitched a complete-game gem in that one, but she also pitched complete games in the other two Supers. If she struggles (like when she gave up seven runs in 2 2/3 innings in Super Game 2), the Huskies will be looking for some help off the bats of Ali Aguilar, Morganne Flores and — get this name, folks — Casey Stengel, each of whom has clubbed double-digit homers. UW scored 83 runs over its last 10 games. 

OREGON 
Seed: 3 
Record: 52-6 
Buzz: The Ducks arguably are the most balanced team left in the field, relative to scoring and pitching, ranking fifth nationally in both ERA and runs per game. Oregon has won 15 straight heading into the WCWS, including a three-game sweep of fourth-ranked Florida State to end the regular season and rollover of No. 14 Kentucky in their Super at Eugene. The Ducks have options in the circle, led by sophomore Megan Kleist and followed by freshmen standouts Miranda Elis and Maggie Balint. But that's a trio of underclassmen, none of whom has never thrown a pitch in the pressure-packed circumstances at Hall of Fame Stadium. 

BAYLOR 
Seed: 15 
Record: 48-13 
Buzz: The Bears went on the road and came back from a game down to defeat second-ranked and fifth-seeded Arizona, thus providing the biggest upset of the Super Regional round. Baylor shocked the Wildcats with a go-ahead three-run homer in the seventh of Game 3 and held on to win 6-5. Baylor pitchers Kelsey Selman and Gia Rodoni helped their team post the No. 15 ERA in the nation, with Rodoni throwing at 0.37 in postseason. The Bears rank 11th nationally in hitting at .325, but they're mostly a singles-hitting squad, though Shelby McGlaun and Shelby Friudenberg have each hit 11 homers this season. 

OKLAHOMA 
Seed: 10 
Record: 56-9
Buzz: The reigning NCAA champions never have to come far to get to the WCWS (Norman is just 20 miles to the south), but OU earned this return trip. After being stunned in their regional opener, the Sooners rolled to four straight twins, highlighted by a walk-off, 10th-inning homer against Tulsa to force a decisive winner-moves-on game, then went to eighth-ranked Auburn for a rematch of last year's NCAA championship series and eliminated the Tigers in two games. Paige Parker (23-5, 1.29 ERA, 243 strikeouts) figures to get the first-game call. All she did last year was carry the Sooners to their national crown, firing a pair of complete-game victories against Auburn with everything on the line.