The 2019 NCAA Division I softball tournament was held from May 31 to June 4, 2019, as the final part of the 2019 NCAA Division I softball season. Thirty-two teams were awarded automatic bids as champions of their conferences, and the remaining 32 were selected at-large by the NCAA Division I softball selection committee. The 64-team, double-elimination tournament concluded with the 2019 Women's College World Series at ASA Hall of Fame Stadium in Oklahoma City. The UCLA Bruins won their 13th championship, defeating the Oklahoma Sooners in two games.
Bids
Automatic bids The Big West, Mountain West, Pac-12, and West Coast Conference bids were awarded to the regular-season champion. All other conferences have the automatic bid go to the conference tournament winner. Conference School Best finish Reference America East Regionals(2002) American WCWS(2012) ACC Champions(2018) A-10 Regionals(2010, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018) ASUN Regionals(2010, 2014) Big 12 Oklahoma Champions(2000, 2013, 2016, 2017) Big East WCWS (1999, 2000, 2005, 2007) Big Sky Regionals(2015, 2016) Big South Regionals(2013, 2015, 2016, 2017) Big Ten Champions(2005) Big West Champions(1986) Colonial Super Regionals(2016) Conference USA WCWS(1983, 1985, 1986) Horizon League 1st Appearance Ivy League Regionals(1998, 2000, 2007, 2011, 2012, 2018) MAC WCWS(1989) MAAC Regionals(2018) MEAC Super Regionals(2005) MVC Regionals(2008, 2018) Mountain West Regionals(1997, 2003) Northeast Regionals(2017, 2018) OVC Regionals(1999) Pac-12 UCLA Champions(1982, 1984, 1985, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1992, 1999, 2003, 2004, 2010) Patriot League Regionals(1996, 2002, 2003, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2014, 2016, 2018) SEC Champions (2014, 2015) SoCon Regionals (2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2014, 2015) Southland Regionals (2007) SWAC Regionals (2016) Summit League North Dakota State Super Regionals(2009) Sun Belt Louisiana WCWS(1993, 1995, 1996, 2003, 2008, 2014) WAC 1st Appearance West Coast Super Regionals(2010)
At-large Team Conference Alabama SEC Pac-12 Pac-12 SEC SEC Mountain West SEC American Big Ten SEC SEC ACC Big Ten SEC SEC ACC Big Ten ACC Big Ten Big 12 Ole Miss SEC SEC Missouri Valley Pac-12 SEC Big 12 SEC Big 12 American ACC Pac-12 Big Ten
By conference Conference Total Schools SEC13 Alabama, , , , , , , , , Ole Miss, , , Big Ten6 , , , , , ACC5 , , , , Pac-125 , , , UCLA, Big 124 Oklahoma, , , American3 , , Missouri Valley2 , Mountain West2 , America East1 Atlantic Sun1 Atlantic 101 Big East1 Big Sky1 Big South1 Big West1 Colonial1 1 Horizon1 Ivy1 MAAC1 Mid-American1 Mid-Eastern1 Northeast1 Ohio Valley1 Patriot1 SoCon1 Southland1 Southwestern1 Sun Belt1 Louisiana Summit1 North Dakota State WAC1 West Coast1
National seeds 16 National Seeds were announced on the Selection Show, on Sunday, May 12 at 9 p.m. EDT on ESPN2. The 16 national seeds host the Regionals. Teams in italics advanced to Super Regionals. Teams in bold advance to Women's College World Series.
1. Oklahoma (49–2)
2. UCLA (46–5)
3. (45–7)
4. (51–8)
5. (44–15)
6. (42–12)
7. (41–12)
8. Alabama (52–7)
9. (41–14)
10. (40–16)
11. Ole Miss (37–17)
12. (39–14)
13. (39–14)
14. (33–22)
15. (43–11)
16. (43–10)
Regionals and Super Regionals The Regionals were held May 16–20, 2019. The Super Regionals were held May 23–26, 2019.
Norman Super Regional
Tuscaloosa Super Regional
Gainesville Super Regional
Tallahassee Super Regional
Seattle Super Regional
Tucson Super Regional
Minneapolis Super Regional
Los Angeles Super Regional
Women's College World Series The Women's College World Series was held May 30 through June 4, 2019, in Oklahoma City.
Participants School Conference Record (conference) Head coach WCWS appearances† (including 2019 WCWS) WCWS best finish†* WCWS W–L record† (excluding 2019 WCWS) Alabama SEC 57–8 (18–6) Patrick Murphy 12 (last: 2016) 1st (2012) 17–21 Pac-12 47–12 (19–5) Mike Candrea 23 (last: 2010) 1st(1991, 1993, 1994, 19961997, 2001, 2006, 2007) 61–32 SEC 49–16 (12–12) Tim Walton 10 (last: 2018) 1st(2014, 2015) 26–16 Big Ten 46–12 (20–2) Jamie Trachsel 1 — — Oklahoma Big 12 54–3 (18–0) Patty Gasso 13(last: 2018) 1st(2000, 2013, 2016, 2017) 29–17 Big 12 44–15 (13–5) Kenny Gajewski 8(last: 2011) 3rd (1989, 1990, 1993, 1994) 11–14 UCLA Pac-12 51–6 (20–4) Kelly Inouye-Perez 29 (last: 2018) 1st (1982, 1984, 1985, 1988, 1989, 19901992, 1999, 2003, 2004, 2010) 98–36 Pac-12 50–7 (20–4) Heather Tarr 14(last: 2018) 1st(2009) 24–21 † = From NCAA Division I Softball Championship Results
Bracket
All-tournament Team The following players were members of the Women's College World Series All-Tournament Team. Position Player School P Rachel Garcia (MOP) UCLA P Taran Alvelo Washington Montana Fouts Alabama Samantha Show Oklahoma State 2B Kinsley Washington UCLA 3B Sydney Romero Oklahoma OF Jocelyn Alo Oklahoma Aaliyah Jordan UCLA Nicole Mendes Oklahoma Bubba Nickles UCLA Sami Reynolds Washington U Bailey Hemphill Alabama
Championship game
School Top Batter Stats. UCLA Bruins Brianna Tautalafua 3-3 HR RBI Oklahoma Sooners Sydney Romero 2-3 HR RBI
School Pitcher IP H R ER BB SO AB BF UCLA Bruins Rachel Garcia (W) 7.0 8 4 4 3 4 38 33 Oklahoma Sooners Giselle Juarez (L) 6.2 10 5 5 3 7 38 35
Game results Date Game Winning team Score Losing team Winning pitcher Losing pitcher Save Notes May 30 Game 1 UCLA 7–2 – Game 2 3–1 (8) – Game 3 2–1 – Game 4 Oklahoma 3–2 Alabama – May 31 Game 5 6–2 Arizona – Game 6 Oklahoma 6–1 – June 1 Game 7 Washington 5–3 Minnesota Game 8 Alabama 15–3 (5) – Game 9 1–0 – Game 10 Alabama 2–0 Arizona – June 2 Game 11 UCLA 3–0 (10) – Game 12 Alabama 1–0 (8) – Game 13 Oklahoma 7–3 Alabama – FinalsJune 3 Game 1 UCLA 16–3 Oklahoma – UCLA 1–0June 4 Game 2 UCLA 5–4 Oklahoma Giselle Juarez (28–4) –
Record by conference Conference# of BidsRecordWin % Pac-12 5 26–9 Big 12 4 22–12 SEC 13 38–31 Big Ten 6 16–13 ACC 5 12–10 CAA 1 4–3 American 3 5–6 Mountain West 2 3–4 Sun Belt 1 2–2 Missouri Valley 2 2–4 Other 22 8–44 The columns RF, SR, WS, NS, F, and NC respectively stand for the Regional Finals, Super Regionals, College World Series Teams, National Semi-Finals, Finals, and National Champion.
Media coverage
Radio Westwood One provided nationwide radio coverage of the championship series. It was streamed online at westwoodsports.com, through TuneIn, and on SiriusXM. Ryan Radtke made his softball radio debut and joined returning analyst Leah Amico.
Television ESPN held exclusive rights to the tournament. The network aired games across ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, SEC Network, and ESPN3. For just the third time in the history of the women's softball tournament, ESPN covered every regional.
Broadcast assignments
Regionals Norman: Pam Ward & Jenny Dalton-Hill Evanston: Kevin Fitzgerald & Jennie Ritter Austin: Alex Loeb & Megan Willis Tuscaloosa: Tiffany Greene & Kayla Braud Gainesville: Eric Frede & Madison Shipman Knoxville: Jenn Hildreth & Carol Bruggeman Stillwater: Melissa Lee & Cheri Kempf Tallahassee: Mike Couzens & Erin Miller Super Regionals Norman: Tiffany Greene & Kayla Braud Tuscaloosa: Beth Mowins, Jessica Mendoza, & Michele Smith Gainesville: Eric Frede & Madison Shipman Tallahassee: Courtney Lyle & Amanda Scarborough Women's College World Series Adam Amin, Amanda Scarborough, & Tiffany Greene (afternoons, early Fri) Beth Mowins, Jessica Mendoza (Thurs, Fri, Championship series), Michele Smith, & Holly Rowe (evenings minus early Fri)
Regionals Seattle: Alex Perlman & Kenzie Fowler Lexington: Dave Baker & Francesca Enea Oxford: Seth Austin & Missy Dickerson Tucson: Beth Mowins & Michele Smith Minneapolis: Courtney Lyle & Amanda Scarborough Baton Rouge: Matt Schumacker & Leigh Dakich Ann Arbor: Mark Neely & Danielle Lawrie Los Angeles: Trey Bender & Leah Amico Super Regionals Seattle: Mark Neely, Danielle Lawrie, & Holly Rowe Tucson: Mike Couzens & Erin Miller Minneapolis: Jenn Hildreth & Carol Bruggeman Los Angeles: Pam Ward & Jenny Dalton-Hill Women's College World Series Finals Beth Mowins, Jessica Mendoza, Michele Smith, & Holly Rowe (TV) Adam Amin, Amanda Scarborough, Kayla Braud, & Tiffany Greene (ESPN3 Second Screen Experience)
References