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The Women's College World Series (WCWS) is the final portion of the NCAA Division I softball tournament for college softball in the United States. Eight teams participate in the WCWS, which begins with a double-elimination tournament. In other words, a team is eliminated when it has lost two games. After six teams have been eliminated, the remaining two teams compete in a best-of-three series to determine the Division I WCWS National Champion.
The Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women was founded in 1971 to govern collegiate women's athletics and to administer national championships. During its existence, the AIAW and its predecessor, the Division for Girls' and Women's Sports (DGWS), recognized via these championships the teams and individuals who excelled at the highest level of women's collegiate competition.
College softball is softball as played on the intercollegiate level at institutions of higher education, predominantly in the United States. College softball is normally played by women at the Intercollegiate level, whereas college baseball is normally played by men.
The NCAA Division I softball tournament is held annually in May/June and features 64 college softball teams in the United States, culminating in the Women's College World Series (WCWS), which is played in Oklahoma City.
Debra "Debbie" Ann Doom is an American, former collegiate All-American, retired professional right-handed softball pitcher originally from Tempe, Arizona. She played for the UCLA Bruins from 1982-1985 and the United States' national softball team just prior to the major boom in the sport's popularity both in America and worldwide. She was the singularly most dominant pitcher in softball during her career and was remarkable for her exceptional fastball and her height. She ranks currently in numerous softball records for the Bruins and in the NCAA Division I. Doom was named the Women's Professional Softball League's inaugural World Series MVP in 1997.
The Texas A&M Aggies softball team represents Texas A&M University in NCAA Division I college softball. The team belongs to the SEC Conference and plays home games at the Davis Diamond.The Aggies have won two NCAA championships in 1983 and 1987 along with an AIAW national championship in 1982. The Aggies have been NCAA runners-up three times in 1984, 1986, and 2008. Reaching the Women's College World Series eleven times, the Aggies have reached the finals six times in 1982, 1983, 1984, 1986, 1987, and 2008.
The Arizona State Sun Devils softball team represents Arizona State University in NCAA Division I College softball. The team competes in the Pac-12 Conference, and plays its home games at Alberta B. Farrington Softball Stadium in Tempe, Arizona. Clint Myers, former head coach of the Sun Devils, guided the team to the Women's College World Series in 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2012, and 2013. The Sun Devils team won the National Championship in 2008 & 2011.
The finals of the 1982 NCAA Division I softball tournament were held from May 27 through May 30. 16 Division I college softball teams met in the NCAA tournament's first round at campus sites. After having played their way through the regular season and first round, the eight advancing teams played in the NCAA Women's College World Series in Omaha, Nebraska. UCLA won the title. Historian Bill Plummer III wrote, "With their 77-8 season record, Texas A&M could have been a contender in Omaha − maybe even the top seed − against perennial softball powers like UCLA and Fresno State. The Aggies had been invited to the NCAA's first national tournament, but chose not to go. A&M coach Bob Brock had high respect for the eleven-year-old AIAW, even as the NCAA began to overshadow it. Out of a sense of loyalty to the AIAW, Brock said, his school chose the 1982 Norman championship over the NCAA's first in Omaha."
The Oklahoma Sooners softball team represents the University of Oklahoma in NCAA Division I College softball. The team competes in the Big 12 Conference, and plays its home games at Love's Field in Norman, Oklahoma. The Sooners are currently led by head coach Patty Gasso.
The 1981 AIAW Women's College World Series was held in Norman, Oklahoma on May 21–24. Sixteen Division I college softball teams met in the next-to-last AIAW fastpitch softball tournament of that organization's history. After playing their way through the regular season and regional tournaments, the 16 advancing teams met for the AIAW Division I college softball championship.
The 1977 Women's College World Series (WCWS) was held in Omaha, Nebraska on May 25–29. Sixteen college softball teams met in the AIAW fastpitch softball tournament. This was the first WCWS in which regional tournaments were conducted for teams to qualify for the final tournament.
The 1978 AIAW Women's College World Series (WCWS) was held in Omaha, Nebraska on May 25–28. Sixteen fastpitch softball teams emerged from regional tournaments to meet in the national collegiate softball championship.
The 1979 AIAW Women's College World Series (WCWS) was held in Omaha, Nebraska on May 24–27. Sixteen fastpitch softball teams emerged from regional tournaments to meet in the national collegiate softball championship.
The 1980 Women's College World Series (WCWS) was held in Norman, Oklahoma on May 22–25, the first time it was played at a location other than Omaha, Nebraska, where it had been held for its first 11 years. Sixteen fastpitch softball teams emerged from regional tournaments to meet in the AIAW national collegiate softball championship.
The 1976 Women's College World Series (WCWS) was held in Omaha, Nebraska on May 13–16, with nineteen college softball teams meeting in the 1976 ASA/AIAW fastpitch softball tournament. Most of the teams had won state championships. This was the last WCWS before the adoption of regional qualifying tournaments. Because college softball had not yet been separated into competitive divisions, large and small colleges competed together in one overall national championship.
The 1982 college softball season, play of college softball in the United States began in February 1982. Two organizations sponsored end of season tournaments crowning a national champion: the AIAW and the NCAA. Both ended in an event called the Women's College World Series. The season progressed through the regular season, many conference tournaments and championship series, and concluded with the dueling tournaments in May 1982.
The 1991 NCAA Division I softball season, play of college softball in the United States organized by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at the Division I level, began in February 1991. The season progressed through the regular season, many conference tournaments and championship series, and concluded with the 1991 NCAA Division I softball tournament and 1991 Women's College World Series. The Women's College World Series, consisting of the eight remaining teams in the NCAA Tournament and held in Oklahoma City at ASA Hall of Fame Stadium, ended on May 26, 1991.
The 2021 NCAA Division I softball tournament was held from May 21 through June 10, 2021 as the final part of the 2021 NCAA Division I softball season. 31 teams were awarded automatic bids as champions of their conferences after the Ivy League opted out of the 2021 softball season. The remaining 33 were selected at-large by the NCAA Division I softball selection committee on May 16, 2021. The tournament culminated with eight teams playing in the 2021 Women's College World Series at USA Softball Hall of Fame Stadium in Oklahoma City.
The 1983 Texas A&M Aggies softball team represented Texas A&M University in the 1983 NCAA Division I softball season. The Aggies were coached by Bob Brock, who led his second season at Texas A&M. The Aggies finished with a record of 41–11.
The 1987 Texas A&M Aggies softball team represented Texas A&M University in the 1987 NCAA Division I softball season. The Aggies were coached by Bob Brock, who led his sixth season at Texas A&M. The Aggies finished with a record of 56–8.
References
- ↑ Mary L. Littlewood (1998). Women's Fastpitch Softball - The Path to the Gold, An Historical Look at Women's Fastpitch in the United States (first ed.). National Fastpitch Coaches Association, Columbia, Missouri. pp. 145, 208. ISBN 0-9664310-0-6.
- ↑ Grundy, Pamela; Shackelford, Susan (2005). Shattering the Glass . The New Press. ISBN 1-56584-822-5.
- 1 2 3 4 Plummer III, William; Floyd, Larry C. (2013). A Series Of Their Own: History Of The Women's College World Series. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States: Turnkey Communications Inc. ISBN 978-0-9893007-0-4.
- ↑ "1982 MAC Champions Honored". April 17, 2013. Archived from the original on May 26, 2013. Retrieved June 1, 2014.