<p>OKLAHOMA CITY — Top seed Oklahoma and 2019 national champion UCLA highlight the Women’s College World Series field. </p>
<p>Last year’s event was <a href="https://apnews.com/article/sports-general-softball-oklahoma-college-sports-us-news-fc3fd61524f39e9fb2962c8db22d00d8"> canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic</a>. In 2019, <a href="https://apnews.com/article/8f24e0e2aab14fc4b616be64fda7ebce">UCLA defeated Oklahoma</a> in the best-of-three championship series to claim its 13th national title and 12th NCAA championship. </p>
<p>USA Softball Hall of Fame Stadium in Oklahoma City has been expanded to a capacity of 13,000 this year — an increase of 4,000. This year’s double-elimination bracket action begins Thursday and the championship series will start June 7. </p>
<p>Oklahoma will open against James Madison on Thursday. The Sooners won national titles in 2000, 2013, 2016 and 2017 and were runners-up in 2012 and 2019. James Madison qualified for the first time after topping Missouri twice in a best-of-three super regionals.</p>
<p>The Oklahoma-James Madison winner will play either No. 5 seed Oklahoma State or Georgia on Friday. If Oklahoma and Oklahoma State win their openers, the rivals would face off in a World Series game for the second time. Last time, <a href="https://apnews.com/article/bc22c5ba986348c0b5c54a2fe93c3218">Oklahoma defeated Oklahoma State 6-1</a> in a winner’s bracket game in 2019. </p>
<p>Oklahoma State advanced to the WCWS by defeating fellow Big 12 member Texas twice in the super regionals.</p>
<p>UCLA is on the other half of the bracket. The Bruins, who feature two-time USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year Rachel Garcia, will open against No. 10 seed Florida State. The winner will face No. 3 seed Alabama or No. 11 seed Arizona on Friday.</p>
