Auburn Softball: WCWS Bracket 1 Preview & UCLA Rematch

After a clutch double-header sweep on Sunday to eliminate Arizona in the super regional round, Auburn softball extended their season into the Women’s College World Series for the second consecutive year — the only two trips to the big show in it’s history.

That just makes it all the more remarkable.

In Oklahoma City, the premier stage in all of college softball, the Tigers (54-10) will find themselves in Bracket 1, grouped with Florida State (53-8), UCLA (40-14-1), and Georgia (45-18).

Of the collective, only Auburn softball and — to a lesser extent — the Seminoles were popular picks to make it beyond super regionals. The Bruins knocked off a conference foe, the 5-seeded, Pac-12 champion Oregon Ducks, to get to Oklahoma City. And the Bulldogs, as the 16-seed, provided the stunner of the year by sweeping No. 1 Florida.

On Thursday, Auburn softball will look to continue their march toward the school’s first softball national championship by taking on UCLA at 1:30 p.m. CT — unless the Florida State-Georgia game that precedes it runs long. Should that occur, the start-time would be adjusted accordingly.

Like the regional round, the Women’s College World Series — initially, at least — is played under double-elimination rules. Therefore, the Auburn-UCLA winner will face the Florida State-Georgia victor the following day. As bracket-play continues, the losers of each of those games will square off to start play Saturday in an early elimination game.

On paper the NCAA Tournament to this point couldn’t have played out much better for the Tigers. Bracket 2 is easily the more difficult. It’s comprised of seeds 2, 3, 6, and 10 in Michigan, Oklahoma, Alabama, and LSU, respectively, though Auburn softball isn’t necessarily safe from playing the four prior to the championship series due to the brackets crossing over at a couple of points.

NCAA Softball Championship 2016: Super Regionals Results, World Series Schedule

Also of note, Auburn softball is 6-1 this season versus the overall field, going 3-0 against Georgia, beating both Alabama and LSU in the SEC Tournament, and splitting two with Florida State.

But the Tigers shouldn’t rest easy.

As discussed, the very reason Bracket 1 appears favorable is due to lower seeds like UCLA and Georgia knocking off sizable favorites. It’s the postseason and, as the Bulldogs proved with their pinch-hit, two-strike, two-out, walk-off homer to prevent two-time defending national champion Florida from attempting to claim a third crown, anything can happen.

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The fact that Auburn softball eliminated UCLA from the WCWS last year can only make Auburn’s perceived smoother road more bumpy. It was a heartbreaking loss for the Bruins, who gained a big early lead only to surrender it, then regain it in the seventh inning, only to relinquish it again in the bottom-half, leading to extras. The Tigers would ultimately win it in 10 innings.

You can be assured that UCLA hasn’t forgotten.

The last time Auburn softball ran into a team they eliminated from the 2015 Women’s College World Series — and with vengeance heavily on their mind — they were decimated twice by Tennessee in shocking fashion to a tune of 22-3.

Next: Auburn Softball College World Series Bound Once Again

There is no question that Auburn softball drew the easier bracket, but being the sole survivor and making it to the championship series won’t be easy.

THREE BRUINS TO WATCH

Selina Ta’amilo: 19-5, 3.39 ERA, 153.0 IP, 120 K, 56 BB
She was by far the Bruins’ most effective pitcher against Oregon in super regionals.
Allexis Bennett: .412 AVG, .500 OBP,  12 SB
Bennett made the All-Pac-12 and Pac-12 All-Defensive teams.
Mysha Sataraka (.561 OBP), Delaney Spaulding (.345 AVG), and Madeline Jelenicki (.313 AVG) have 13, 17, and 13 home runs respectively.
All three were All-Pac-12 selections. Sataraka and Spaulding made first-team.

BRACKET 1 SCHEDULE FOR THURSDAY-FRIDAY

Thursday, June 2
Game 1: Georgia vs. Florida State @ 11:00 a.m. (ESPN)
Game 2: UCLA vs. Auburn @ 1:30 p.m. (ESPN)

Friday, June 3
Game 3: Winner of G1 vs. Winner of G2 @ 6:00 p.m. (ESPN2)

All times central.