Georgia softball is set to make its 5th program appearance in the Women’s College World Series in Oklahoma City. The Bulldogs open play in USA Softball Hall of Fame Stadium against Oklahoma State Thursday, June 3 at 2:30 p.m., ET.

The Women’s College World Series features eight teams, squaring off in a double-elimination tournament format. The final two teams will play for the National Championship in a best-of-three championships series, which will begin June 7.

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A Look at What’s Ahead

The winner Game 2 will advance to Friday’s Game 5 to face the winner of Oklahoma and James Madison. The losers of Games 1 and 2 will square off Saturday at noon in Game 7.

Series Histories

Alabama  » Georgia trails the all-time series against Alabama 20-49 » The Tide have won the last eight games including sweeping the series in Athens this season » Georgia and Alabama have never met in the postseason » The Bulldogs are 1-3 all-time against Alabama on a neutral field, all in the SEC Tournament

Arizona  » Georgia trails the all-time series, 2-3 » The Bulldogs and Wildcats have never met in the postseason » Most recent meeting was in Cathedral City in 2012

Florida State» Georgia trails the all-time series, 8-9 » The Bulldogs and Seminoles have a long history in the postseason, meeting nine times. FSU has won five of the nine postseason meetings. The teams have split two meetings (2016, 2018) in OKC  » The last six meetings have all been in the postseason

James Madison » Georgia leads the all-time series, 5-0 » The Bulldogs and Dukes last met in the shortened 2020 season in Athens » Four of the five all-time meetings have been in Athens » Georgia and JMU have never met in the postseason

Oklahoma» Georgia leads the all-time series against Oklahoma, 4-3 » The Bulldogs and Sooners split a doubleheader on April 20 in Athens. Georgia’s game one win snapped OU’s 40-game win streak.  » The first five meetings were in Cathedral City, California, most recently in 2015. Georgia won the game 6-5.  » Georgia and OU have never met in the postseason

Oklahoma State» Georgia trails the all-time series, 2-3 »  The last two meetings were in the 2016 Athens Regional. Georgia fell to OSU in the first game of the regional final but won the second to win the regional. Georgia went on to the WCWS that season after knocking off Florida in the Super Regional

UCLA» Georgia trails the all-time series, 2-15 » In postseason play, Georgia is 1-6 against the Bruins » The last postseason meeting was in the 2010 WCWS

Avant and Bulldogs Make History in Super Regional

Graduate pitcher Mary Wilson Avant became the first-ever Bulldog to pitch back-to-back shutouts for Georgia in postseason play, shutting out No. 4 Florida in both games of the Gainesville Super Regional. The last time Florida was shut out in back-to-back games was 2012. The Gators have only been shut out in back-to-back post season games once, back in 1998 in their first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance. Avant allowed only seven hits through 14 innings to the Gators, including nine strikeouts in game one.

Fields has ‘Super’ Performance in Gainesville

In her first start in the lineup since May 1 against Alabama, Jaiden Fields made the most of her opportunity in game one against No. 4 Florida. The redshirt-sophomore finished the game 3-for-3 including a go-ahead solo home run in the third. The next day, she hit another home run. She finished the Super Regional going 4-for-5 with a pair of RBI and three runs scored.  Fields is 5-for-7 (.714) in three appearances in the 2021 NCAA Tournament with four runs scored.

It’s All In the Family

A pair of Bulldogs come from families with prior Women’s College World Series experience. Junior Savana Sikes’ sister Sara played for Georgia in 2010 when the Bulldogs made a Final Four run in Oklahoma City. Freshman Britton Rogers’ mom, Courtney Blades, played for Lu Harris-Champer when Southern Miss made back-to-back appearances in Oklahoma City in 1999 and 2000. Senior Shelby Suplee’s father Ray was on Georgia’s 1990 National Championship team. He was a freshman All-American that season.

Avant Shines in NCAA Tournament

Graduate Pitcher Mary Wilson Avant pitched 14 of Georgia’s 20 innings in the Athens Regional. She earned the win in the circle all three games, starting the first two games and entering in relief in the Regional final against No. 13 Duke. Avant pitched a two-hit shutout of the Blue Devils on Saturday. She did not allow a run to the national seed in eight innings of work.  The Macon native is 5-0 in the NCAA Tournament, working 28 innings in the circle. She has allowed only three runs, none to nationally seeded opponents. She has struck out 19 batters and gone the distance in four tournament starts. 

Chambley Breaks Out in First Postseason

Freshman outfielder Sydney Chambley drove in a team-best six RBI in the Athens Regional. Two of her four hits were home runs including a game-ending grand slam against Western Kentucky. In the field, she recorded 13 putouts in left, making highlight reel catches in Sunday’s Regional final game. Her 13 putouts were second only two first baseman Lacey Fincher’s 24. She drove in the game-winning run in the bottom of the sixth in Sunday’s game Regional final. 

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