| Teams | 20 |
|---|---|
| Finals site |
|
| Champions | UCLA (4th (5th overall) title) |
| Runner-up | Fresno State (4th WCWS Appearance) |
| Winning coach | Sharron Backus (4th (5th overall) title) |
The 1988 NCAA Division I softball tournament was the seventh annual tournament to determine the national champion of NCAA women's collegiate softball. Held during May 1988, twenty Division I college softball teams contested the championship, an expansion of four teams from the previous year. The tournament featured eight regionals of either two or three teams. The regions of two teams consisted of a simple best-of-three series whereas the regions of three teams consisted of a double elimination tournament of four or five games. The 1988 Women's College World Series was held in Sunnyvale, California from May 25 through May 29 and marked the conclusion of the 1988 NCAA Division I softball season. UCLA won the championship by defeating Fresno State 3–0 in the final game. [1] [2]
The 1988 event was the first WCWS played in Sunnyvale.
At-large Regional
| Central RegionalFirst elimination round
Second elimination round
| Mideast RegionalFirst elimination round
Second elimination round
| Midwest RegionalFirst elimination round
Second elimination round
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Northeast Regional
| Northwest Regional
| South RegionalFirst elimination round
Second elimination round
| West Regional
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| Upper round 1 | Upper round 2 | Upper final | Semifinals | Final | ||||||||||||||||||||
| UCLA | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Northern Illinois | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| UCLA | 6 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Fresno State | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Fresno State | 3 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Texas A&M | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| UCLA | 5 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Arizona | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Arizona | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| UCLA | 4 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Adelphi | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Arizona | 4 | Cal Poly Pomona | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Cal State Pomona | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Cal Poly Pomona | 3 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Nebraska | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| UCLA | 1 | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lower round 1 | Lower round 2 | Fresno State | 2 | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Cal Poly Pomona | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Northern Illinois | 0 | Texas A&M | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Arizona | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Texas A&M | 3 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Fresno State | 4 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Fresno State | 19 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Adelphi | 1 | Nebraska | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Nebraska | 5 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date | Game | Winning team | Score | Losing team | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 20 | Game 1 | UCLA | 1–0 | Northern Illinois | |
| Game 2 | Fresno State | 3–0 | Texas A&M | ||
| May 21 | Game 3 | Arizona | 1–0 | Adelphi | |
| Game 4 | Cal Poly Pomona | 3–0 | Nebraska | ||
| May 22 | Game 5 | Texas A&M | 3–0 | Northern Illinois | Northern Illinois eliminated |
| Game 6 | Nebraska | 5–1 | Adelphi | Adelphi eliminated | |
| Game 7 | UCLA | 6–1 | Fresno State | ||
| Game 8 | Arizona | 4–1 | Cal Poly Pomona | ||
| May 23 | Game 9 | Fresno State | 1–09 | Nebraska | Nebraska eliminated |
| Game 10 | Cal Poly Pomona | 1–0 | Texas A&M | Texas A&M eliminated | |
| Game 11 | UCLA | 5–0 | Arizona | ||
| Game 12 | Fresno State | 4–0 | Arizona | Arizona eliminated | |
| Game 13 | UCLA | 4–1 | Cal Poly Pomona | Cal Poly Pomona eliminated | |
| May 24 | Game 14 | Fresno State | 2–1 | UCLA | |
| Game 15 | UCLA | 3–0 | Fresno State | UCLA wins WCWS |
| School | Top Batter | Stats. |
|---|---|---|
| UCLA Bruins | Janice Parks (3B) | 2-2 2RBIs 2B BB |
| Fresno State Bulldogs | RaeAnn Pifferini (LF) | 2-4 |
| School | Pitcher | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | AB | BF |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UCLA Bruins | Lisa Longaker (W) | 7.0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 27 | 30 |
| Fresno State Bulldogs | Carie Dever (L) | 7.0 | 9 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 24 | 29 |
The following players were named to the All-Tournament Team [4]
| Pos | Name | School |
|---|---|---|
| P | Carie Dever | Fresno St. |
| Lisa Longaker | UCLA | |
| C | Stacy Sunny | UCLA |
| 1B | Kerry Dienelt | UCLA |
| 2B | Missy Phillips | UCLA |
| 3B | Julie Standering | Arizona |
| SS | Heidi Lievens | Arizona |
| OF | Shanna Flynn | UCLA |
| Margie Ogrodowicz | Nebraska | |
| RaeAnn Pifferini | Fresno State | |
| AL | Gena Strang | Fresno State |
| Karin Richter | Fresno State |
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