Life’s a pitch

The GIST: The Women’s College World Series (WCWS) is so on. The contenders kicked things off with four games last night — Oklahoma City weather be damned — and put on a show in front of record crowds.

Jayda Coleman shines: The No. 2–seed Oklahoma senior centerfielder shone last night, snagging two runs, one stolen base, and one phenomenal web gem as she led the Sooners to a 9–1 smackdown of No. 10 Duke, their 19th (!!!) consecutive NCAA tournament win.

Kavan wins pitchers’ duel: No. 8 Stanford superstar pitcher NiJaree Canady looked exhausted from carrying her team through the postseason last night, but No. 1 Texas freshman phenom Teagan Kavan tossed a complete-game, one-hit shutout to help the Longhorns secure the 4–0 dub. Stanford now moves to the losers’ bracket, where Canady’s stamina will be pushed to the limit.

Up next: Two teams will be sent packing after tonight’s elimination games: Duke faces No. 14 Alabama at 7 p.m. ET, followed by Stanford vs. No. 5 Oklahoma State at 9:30 p.m. ET, both on ESPN, with the losers of each heading home.

• But there’s no rest for the winners, who will then have to win three straight games before Monday night to make the WCWS finals. No pressure.

The GIST: Baseball’s regional round is on deck, with 64 teams hoping to survive the weekend. No path to the 16-team Super Regionals is easy, but the following regionals are especially on upset watch.

Stillwater: Overall No. 11–seed Oklahoma State has had terrible luck in the regionals. The program hosted in 2022 and 2023 but failed to advance both times. They need a win here to avoid official “cursed” status, but that’s easier said than done in a bracket full of big hitters — most notably Florida first baseman/pitcher and Golden Spikes frontrunner Jac Caglianone. Expect runs on runs on runs.

Chapel Hill: Don’t be fooled by their ugly record: Reigning national champ LSU — led by the game’s biggest personality, third baseman Tommy White — is the hottest team around. Their late-season push included an unbelievable run to the SEC Tournament final as the No. 11–seed. Add in NEC and Southern Conference champs LIU and Wofford, and host No. 4 UNC should be feeling very nervous.

Norman: No. 9 Oklahoma drew the short straw when Duke landed in their regional. Some feel the Blue Devils’ failure to capture a Top-16 seed — and therefore hosting rights — was the bracket’s biggest snub, and nothing’s more dangerous than a sturdy bullpen with something to prove.

• And that’s not even counting Oral Roberts, last year’s Cinderella, who could easily oust both Oklahoma and Duke. Popcorn? Popped.

Tucson: The selection committee stunned fans when they awarded Arizona the No. 13 seed and hosting rights, but the Wildcats paid for the honor with arguably the toughest regional of all. With perennial powerhouses Dallas Baptist, West Virginia, and Grand Canyon in the mix, there are no sure bets in this bracket.