The Oklahoma Sooners are closing in on history.
The No. 2 seed Sooners are only one win away from becoming the first softball team to win four consecutive national titles following an 8-3 victory over the No. 1-seed Texas Longhorns in the Women’s College World Series championship series on Wednesday. The winner of Game 1 has gone on to win the best-of-three championship series 78% of the time.
The Longhorns are vying for their first title in their second WCWS finals appearance, the first being in 2022, when Texas lost to Oklahoma in two games.
Game 2 of the best-of-three series is on Thursday.
Game 1: Oklahoma softball eyes four-peat after home run derby win over Texas
Here’s everything you need to know about Thursday’s matchup between Oklahoma and Texas:
When is 2024 Women’s College World Series finals?
The best-of-three WCWS championship series will continue Thursday. Here is the schedule (all times Eastern):
No. 1 Texas vs. No. 2 Oklahoma
- Game 1: Oklahoma 8, Texas 3
- Game 2: Thursday, 8 p.m.
- Game 3 (if necessary): Friday, 8 p.m.
How to watch 2024 Women’s College World Series finals
Game 2 of the 2024 WCWS championship series will be broadcast on ESPN. It can also be live streamed on ESPN+ and the ESPN app.
Texas vs. Oklahoma head-to-head in 2024
The Sooners lead the Longhorns 3-2 this season.
Texas won the regular-season series against Oklahoma, winning two of three games April 5-7 in Austin. The Sooners beat the Longhorns 5-2 in the opener before Texas won 2-1 each of the next two games. Oklahoma then got revenge in the Big 12 tournament, beating the Longhorns 5-1 in the final.
Oklahoma took Game 1 of the championship series on Wednesday.
Texas Women’s College World Series championship history
Texas is vying for its first softball national championship. This will be the second time the Longhorns have reached the championship series; the first was in 2022, when they lost to Oklahoma in two games.
Oklahoma Women’s College World Series championship history
Oklahoma will attempt to become the first school to win four consecutive NCAA Division I softball championships after winning Women’s College World Series titles in 2021, 2022 and 2023. Last season, the Sooners became the first school since UCLA from 1988-90 to win three consecutive titles. Oklahoma is also seeking its eighth national championship all-time, which would tie Arizona for second most in NCAA history, behind UCLA’s 12.
This is Oklahoma’s 10th time in the WCWS championship series, and fifth-straight time reaching the finals, excluding the canceled 2020 season. Here are the results from each time the Sooners made it to the final:
- 2023: Won, defeated Florida State
- 2022: Won, defeated Texas
- 2021: Won, defeated Florida State
- 2019: Lost to UCLA
- 2017: Won, defeated Florida
- 2016: Won, defeated Auburn
- 2013: Won, defeated Tennessee
- 2012: Lost to Alabama
- 2000: Won, defeated UCLA
Contributing: Jordan Mendoza