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Few expected Florida to do much this season, but the youthful Gators have used discipline at the plate to their advantage. The question is, will it get the No. 2 seed to Oklahoma City?

With the NCAA softball tournament set to start, Graham Hays breaks down the seeds, sleepers and players to watch in Norman, College Station, Ann Arbor and Baton Rouge.

Familiar names are still holding strong atop our softball power rankings, while a surprising Sun Belt team steps into the top 10.

After their performances at a star-studded Mary Nutter Classic, UCLA and LSU jump into the espnW NCAA softball rankings for the first time, while Oklahoma remains a dominant No. 1.

There wasn't much shakeup on the field or in the softball power rankings this past weekend, but a big tournament is on tap and could cost some top teams their undefeated records.

Oklahoma gained newfound respect -- and fans -- en route to last season's title series against Alabama.

Keilani Ricketts may have been softball's brightest star last season, but she's still improving and building on her success for the loaded Oklahoma Sooners softball team.

With the NCAA softball season opening this weekend, the biggest question could be: Can any team stop Oklahoma?

Cal's recent success has created a Bay Area bandwagon every bit as tempting as the one heading to the Super Bowl.

Alabama hasn't been around long, but it's come close to softball's big prize a few times. Wednesday was its breakthrough as the Crimson Tide won the WCWS title over Oklahoma.

For the first time since 2007, there will be a winner-take-all Game 3. Alabama saw to that with an 8-6 win against Oklahoma.

It was billed as a duel of pitchers Keilani Ricketts of Oklahoma and Jackie Traina of Alabama. Yet both pitchers batted cleanup, and produced, for their respective teams.

The Crimson Tide's six seniors don't mind the underclassmen grabbing the headlines. They just want their share of a championship.

Oklahoma's California recruits and Alabama's Southern roots saw to it that no Pac-12 team made the championship series for the first time since 1986.

Oklahoma's ace has been good for some time. In the postseason, she is 7-0 with a 0.16 ERA and 76 strikeouts in 45 innings.

ASU's Hillary Bach didn't throw a pitch during the postseason a year ago. But with the season on the line Saturday, she delivered a shutout against LSU.