The final field of eight have been assembled

The elite eight field is set for the NCAA Division I national softball World Series that makes its initial pitch Thursday at the Hall of Fame Stadium in Oklahoma City.

The final spot was filled Sunday when 5th-seeded Oklahoma State won 2-0 over 12th-seeded Big 12 rival Texas in the deciding game of the best-of-3 Stillwater Region. The teams had split the first two, the Cowgirls winning game one, 6-1, and the Longhorns taking game two, 4-1.

It was, in fact, the first time in five outings that Texas emerged victorious versus Oklahoma State, but on to the World Series goes the Cowgirls against unseeded Georgia, which shut out 4th-seeded Florida twice in the Gainesville Region.

Oklahoma State and Georgia were the only teams to defeat top-ranked, top-seeded Oklahoma, which opens the World Series versus also unseeded James Madison, which split the two games against 8th-seeded Missouri at the Columbus Region, then won the deciding contest 7-2 to gain the World Series for the first time and play in game two.

In game three, it’s 3rd-seeded Alabama facing 11th-seeded Arizona, which disposed of host 6th-seeded Arkansas with back-to-back wins at the Fayetteville Region. Bama got there by by twice topping 12th-seeded Kentucky at the Tuscaloosa Region.

UCLA, the 2018 champion and the 2nd-seed with a record 11 championships, did not have it easy getting to the big show. In its Los Angeles Region it barely got past Fresno State, 5-4, then dominated Portland State, 11-2, before struggling versus Long Beach and surviving with a 3-2 win.

Then in the Super Regionals also in Los Angeles, the Bruins met up with unseeded Virginia Tech, which ousted host and 15th-seeded Arizona State at the Tempe Region, and after losing the playoff opener, 5-3, evened things with a 7-4 win in game two, and then blanked the Hoekies, 2-0, in the deciding game.

Now they play the final game Thursday against 10th-seeded Florida State, which took both games against 7th-seeded and host Louisiana State in the Baton Rouge Region.

Of the remaining schools in the field, UCLA has won the most titles, Arizona has won eight times, Oklahoma five times, Alabama and FSU once each, with the Seminoles winning in 2018, the year before it was again Bruins time.

Georgia is in its seventh World Series as it seeks a first championship, and Oklahoma State makes its sixth appearance also looking for a first title.

Thus, four seeds were eliminated and numbers one, two and three advanced. in the field will be the nation’s No. 1 home run Oklahoma (138), with the highest scoring and defensive team, and strong pitching expected from UCLA, Alabama, Georgia and Florida State, and James Madison’s and Arizona with the all-around games, and Oklahoma State with dependable pitching and hitting.

Hall of Fame Stadium is expected as usual to fill every seat after the COVID-19 restrictions were lifted. It is only 40 miles south of the Sooners campus in Norman, and about a two-hour drive from Oklahoma States campus in Stillwater.

Further trips will be made by Florida State, Georgia, James Madison from Virginia, Alabama and UCLA. No matter though, for all these schools are just happy to get this far and play in the double-elimination finale in quest of hoisting the championship trophy.

The Thursday schedule, seedings, teams, times of games and where it will be televised:  Noon, (1) Oklahoma (50-2) versus unseeded James Madison (39-2).

                 1 p.m. (5) Oklahoma State (45-10) versus unseeded Georgia (34-21).

                 5 p.m. (3) Alabama (50-7) versus (11) Arizona (41-13).

                 7 p.m. (2) UCLA (46-5) versus (10) Florida State (44-10-1).

                 These games will be televised on ESPN.