The college softball world has thrown us a "Curve Bahl," if you will. Such is the unexpected news that Oklahoma ace Jordy Bahl has announced that she will transfer to the University of Nebraska, Lincoln. Bahl is from the Omaha suburb of Papillion, Nebraska. Three thoughts jump out at me: Bahl was absolutely indispensable to the Sooners' 61-1 national championship season, coming up with numerous clutch strikeouts in tight tournament games against Clemson (super-regionals, Game 2 ) and Stanford ( WCWS semifinals ).    OU benefited greatly this season via the transfer portal, bringing in Haley Lee  from Texas A&M,  Alex Storako from Michigan, and Cydney Sanders and Alynah Torres from Arizona State. Bahl's transfer is the first major one in the modern portal era (to my knowledge) in the other direction. Nebraska becomes an instant national championship contender, in my mind. Other players around the country may find it attractive to join Bahl in Lincoln but even i...

Game 2 will be getting underway shortly... The Sooners are one game away from not only winning their third straight NCAA championship but also from setting a record for fewest losses in a championship season (a potential 61-1 record), which would replace the 1992 UCLA squad's mark of 54-2... Kathryn Sandercock, who was held out last night, is starting for the Seminoles... Top 1 -- OU goes down 1-2-3... Bottom 1 -- Sooners start Michigan transfer Alex Storako in the circle... Storako greeted by single from FSU's Kaley Mudge... Second batter bunts, OU 3B-person throws ball into center field trying to get Mudge at second... Seminoles with runners on first and second and none out... OU does not allow a lot of scoring opportunities, so Florida State really has to capitalize when it can (especially with Storako [1.06 K/inning] not being as much of a strikeout pitcher as Jordy Bahl [1.31])... Liner to 3B for first out... Hard grounder back to Storako, bobbled briefly, so only play ...

Game 1 of the championship round between Oklahoma and Florida State is in a weather delay... There was an estimate of a half-hour delay, which would have the game start around 7:30 Central... An updated starting time is around 8:10 Central... It will be Mack Leonard pitching for FSU and Jordy Bahl for OU... ESPN.com had an interesting article this morning about how Seminoles star Kathryn Sandercock has been pitching fewer innings this season to avoid burning her out... Top 1 -- Florida State will be the visitors for this game... The Noles go down 1-2-3. Bottom 1 -- After OU's leadoff hitter flies out, another weather delay is announced, possibly because of a lighting strike in the area... Action resumes, with the next two Sooners being retired to end the inning... Top 2 -- Michaela Edenfield with a sharp liner up the middle for a single... Next batter strikes out swinging after 3-0 count (3-1 pitch questionably called a strike)... 6-4-3 double play to end FSU half-inning... Bot...

We're down to four teams. Oklahoma (no losses) and Stanford (one loss) will face off at 11:00 am Central. An OU win puts the Sooners directly into the championship round, whereas a Cardinal win would force a winner-take-all rematch shortly following the first game. Florida State (no losses) takes on Tennessee (one loss) in the evening session, starting at 6:00 pm. The Seminoles need one win to reach the championship round, the Volunteers two...  In the evening session, Florida State looking like it will join Oklahoma in the championship round, leading Tennessee 5-1 B6... The Vols with a bit of a rally, however, with runners on first and second and two out... K to end the inning... T7, FSU runner trying to steal home called out on video review after initially being called safe; score remains 5-1 Seminoles going to B7... UT down to its final three outs... K for first out... Fly to CF for second out... Easy flare to SS for third out... Florida State to championship round... Kylie Chun...

Two elimination games are scheduled for today: Stanford vs. Washington, in an all-Pac 12 matchup (2:00 pm Central, ABC) and Oklahoma State vs. Tennessee (6 pm, ESPN2). Oklahoma State and Tennessee underway, scoreless as the Cowgirls bat in the top of the second... A two-out walk gives OSU runners at first and second... Full count... Soft pop-up to pitcher ends Cowgirl threat... Tennessee SS Mackenzie Donihoo with nice catch going back into shallow left ( video )... Still scoreless as Vols come up B3... Walk, steal, and Zaida Puni oppo double score first run, UT leads 1-0... Walk and single increase Vols' lead to 2-0 . Lexi Kilfoyl replacing Kelly Maxwell in the circle for Cowgirls... Tennessee with runners at second and third with one out... Walk to load bases... Grounder back to pitcher, gets force at the plate... Another grounder to the pitcher, this time she throws batter out at first... T4, OSU two-out rally, with single and double but runner thrown out at the plate ... Tennes...

Florida State has defeated Washington 3-1, to remain the only other unbeaten team (besides Oklahoma) at the WCWS... The Seminoles scored two in the bottom of the second and then each team added a run in the sixth... The Huskies mounted a threat in the top of the seventh, with the first two batters getting singles; however, a fly-out and line-out double-play (featuring a snare up in the air by Florida State SS Josie Muffley) ended the game... Oklahoma has struck fast in its winner's bracket showdown with Tennessee, as Tiare Jennings socks a two-out three-run homer for a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the second ( video )... Kinzie Hansen adds a two-run shot B3, making it 5-0 Sooners ( video )... 9-0 is your final...

Utah looks likely to be the second team going home, as it trails Oklahoma State 8-0 after two innings... No further scoring, as the Cowgirls win 8-0 via run-rule (five innings)... The first team that will be going home from the WCWS is Alabama, which managed only one hit in a 2-0 loss to Stanford. Along with allowing no runs and limiting the Crimson Tide to one hit, the Cardinal combination of Alana Vawter (5 1/3 innings) and NiJaree Canady (1 2/3 innings) did not walk anyone.   Utah and Washington finally underway after being delayed from last night. UW is the home team. During the Pac 12 season, the Huskies took two of three from the Utes in Seattle, with all three games being close... T2, with one out, Utah gets one of the strangest doubles you'll ever see, as Haley Denning's bunt-chopper through the middle of the infield bounces over pitcher and by two infielders; once Denning arrives at first and sees no one covering second, she takes off (can't find video of this pl...

The 2023 Women's College World Series is underway. Today's schedule features a quadruple  triple-header of action. Due to weather delays and lateness in the evening of the Florida State-Oklahoma State game completion, the Washington-Utah game has been delayed until Friday afternoon... Game 3 between Oklahoma State and Florida State is in a weather delay... Game starts, with OSU going scoreless in top of first... B1, FSU's Michaela Edenfield blasts no-doubter two-run homer to left ( video ), 2-0 Seminoles... T2, Cowgirls threatening with runners on first and second and one out... Pop to SS for second out... Foul-out near left field to end threat... T3, one out... Another weather delay (minimum 40 minutes) due to lightning in the area... Florida State wins 8-0 in a six-inning, run-rule outcome... Game 2, between Stanford -- with ace pitcher NiJaree Canady going -- and Oklahoma -- starting Jordy Bahl in the circle --  is scoreless after one... Still scoreless after three...