Defending NCAA softball champ Oklahoma, top seed Oregon head WCWS field

OKLAHOMA CITY — Two-time defending champion Oklahoma and No. 1 seed Oregon highlight the Women’s College World Series field.

The top eight seeds qualified, including four teams from the Pac-12. The games begin Thursday at ASA Hall of Fame Stadium in Oklahoma City.

No. 4 seed Oklahoma (55-3) will face No. 5 Washington (49-8). Oklahoma features pitcher Paige Parker and power hitter Jocelyn Alo. Parker has been Oklahoma’s ace the past two seasons. Alo, a freshman, leads the nation with 28 home runs.

Oregon (52-8) will play Pac-12 rival Arizona State (48-11). Oregon and Oklahoma could meet Friday.

In the other bracket, No. 2 Florida (55-9) will play No. 7 Georgia (48-11) and No. 3 UCLA (56-5) will face No. 6 Florida State (52-11). Georgia’s Brittany Gray leads the nation with a 0.48 ERA.

Florida won national titles in 2014 and 2015 and is expected to be a threat again with pitcher Kelly Barnhill in the circle.