Eight teams will compete in the Women’s College World Series (WCWS), but it’s not the eight you would expect, as the one, four, five, and eight seeds were knocked out in earlier rounds. Still,

from Oklahoma’s quest for a five-peat to first-time appearances from two schools, there are tons of compelling storylines to follow, and the chances for upsets are high. Here’s everything you need to know to watch like a pro.

The WCWS is a double-elimination tournament with two brackets that will eventually result in two teams that emerge to play a best-of-three series to close the tournament.

Game 1: No. 3 Florida vs. No. 6 Texas

WCWS history: The Texas Longhorns are making their eighth appearance, and second consecutive. The Florida Gators are making their second appearance.

Who to watch: Florida’s top hitter Taylor Shumaker is the National Fastpitch Coaches Association Freshman of the Year, and it’s obvious why - she’s batting a whopping .389, with 22 home runs, 72 runs scored, and 17 doubles. Her power will be tested by Texas’s ace Teagan Kavan who leads the Longhorns with 212 strikeouts and has the team’s second-lowest ERA, 2.56.

Potential downfalls: Florida’s bats are the reason they have made it this far. The Gators’ pitching may be their Achilles heel in this tournament. Meanwhile, Texas will be relying on Kavan, who, for all her good days, has the occasional bad ones. The Longhorns will need Kavan to lock in in order to advance to the finals.

When and how to watch: Thursday, May 29, noon ET, on ESPN

Game 2: No.2 Oklahoma vs No. 7 Tennessee

WCWS history: The Tennessee Lady Volunteers make their 9th overall appearance, and their first since 2023. The Oklahoma Sooners, with their 18 WCWS appearances and 8 NCAA titles - including the last four years - are somewhat of an intimidating opponent.

Who to watch: Ella Parker, whom we wrote about last week, has one of the hottest bats in the NCAA. She currently leads Oklahoma with a .416 average, 13 home runs, and 49 RBIs. It will be nothing short of spectacular to watch her face off against Tennessee pitcher Karlyn Pickens, who just recently broke her own record for throwing the fastest pitch ever in college softball. She threw a ball 79.4 mph!

Potential downfalls: While it’s hard to find anything to critique about Oklahoma, its pitching staff may be its weak link. Sam Landry will have to focus hard on not giving up home runs. Tennessee’s success largely depends on how well Pickens can play, as well as how many runs her team can hit to support her (she has already survived a few 1-0 wins this year).

When and how to watch: Thursday, May 29, 2:30 p.m. ET, on ESPN

Game 3: No. 12 Texas Tech vs. Ole Miss

WCWS history: Texas Tech and Ole Miss will both be making their first appearances in the WCWS. Sadly, someone’s journey will have to come to an end after this round.

Who to Watch: Perhaps the biggest star of all of women’s college softball is Texas Tech ace NiJaree Canady. In 205 innings pitched this season, she went 30-5, with a microscopic 0.89 ERA and 279 strikeouts to her name. Ole Miss’s slugger Lexie Brady, who has largely been carrying her Rebels through this tournament, will be trying her best to get a hit off the Raider’s star pitcher.

Potential downfalls: Texas Tech may have Canady on the mound, but offensively, they’re not a slugging team. Meanwhile, Ole Miss can almost always rely on Brady to get on the board, but their fielding is the worst out of the eight remaining teams and may prove to be a major issue as they look to advance.

When and how to watch: Thursday, May 29, 7 p.m. ET on ESPN2

Game 4: No. 9 UCLA vs. No. 16 Oregon

WCWS history: The Oregon Ducks will make their 7th appearance, and their first since 2018, in this year’s tournament. Meanwhile, the UCLA Bruins have a legendary history in this tournament - they’re back for their 34th appearance, and the program has 12 NCAA titles under its belt (the most recent coming in 2019).

Who to watch: UCLA’s bats have been bolstered by Jordan Woolery, who keeps coming up clutch for the Bruins. Most recently, she hit a crucial 2-run home run to save her team from being eliminated in the super regionals. As for Oregon, pitcher Lyndsey Grein has kept the team anchored, and recently struck out 10 in Oregon’s defeat of Liberty to help the Ducks clinch their ticket to the WCWS.

Potential downfalls: The Oregon Ducks may have an ace on the mound, but they strike out. A lot. They have to focus on generating offense, or else they have no path forward. While UCLA doesn’t struggle with activating the bats, the Bruins are a little slow around the diamond. Fine-tuning their base-running could make the difference for them in these final games.

How and where to watch: Thursday, May 29, 9:30 p.m. ET, on ESPN2

After these four initial games, more chaos could ensue. Buckle up!