| Year: | 1997 |
| Teams: | 32 |
| Wcwsballpark: | ASA Hall of Fame Stadium |
| City: | Oklahoma City, Oklahoma |
| Champions: | Arizona |
| Titlecount: | 5th |
| Runner-Up: | UCLA |
| Wcwscount: | 15th |
| Coach: | Mike Candrea |
| Coachcount: | 5th |
| Mop: | Nancy Evans |
| Mopteam: | Arizona |
The 1997 NCAA Division I softball tournament was the sixteenth annual tournament to determine the national champion of NCAA women's collegiate softball. Held during May 1997, thirty-two Division I college softball teams contested the championship. The tournament featured eight regionals of four teams, each in a double elimination format. The 1997 Women's College World Series was held in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma from May 22 through May 26 and marked the conclusion of the 1997 NCAA Division I softball season. The event returned to Oklahoma City after a one-year hiatus, and it has remained there ever since. Arizona won their fifth NCAA championship by defeating UCLA 10–2 in the final game. Arizona pitcher Nancy Evans was named Women's College World Series Most Outstanding Player.[1] [2]
See main article: 1997 NCAA Division I softball season.
Arizona qualifies for WCWS.
South Carolina qualifies for WCWS.
Iowa qualifies for WCWS.
Fresno State qualifies for WCWS.
UCLA qualifies for WCWS
Michigan qualifies for WCWS.
Washington qualifies for WCWS.
UMass qualifies for WCWS.
| School | Conference | Record | Head coach | WCWS appearances† (Including 1997 WCWS) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 57–4 | 10 | ||||
| 52–12 | 10 | ||||
| 51–7 | 3 | ||||
| 37–21–1 | 2 | ||||
| 55–14–1 | 3 | ||||
| 63–3 | Joyce Compton | 3 | |||
| 45–12 | 15 | ||||
| 48–17 | 2 |
†: Excludes results of the pre-NCAA Women's College World Series of 1969 through 1981.
| Date | Game | Winner | Score | Loser | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 22 | Game 1 | 2 – 1 8 | |||
| Game 2 | 2 – 0 8 | ||||
| Game 3 | 3 – 2 | ||||
| Game 4 | 6 – 0 | ||||
| May 23 | Game 5 | 2 – 0 14 | |||
| Game 6 | 5 – 1 | ||||
| May 24 | Game 7 | 2 – 1 | UMass eliminated | ||
| Game 8 | 1 – 0 | South Carolina eliminated | |||
| Game 9 | 7 – 6 | Iowa eliminated | |||
| Game 10 | 7 – 3 | Michigan eliminated | |||
| May 25 | Game 11 | 3 – 0 | Fresno State forces the If Necessary Game (Game 13) | ||
| Game 12 | 4 – 3 | UCLA forces the If Necessary Game (Game 14) | |||
| Game 13 | 6 – 3 | Fresno State eliminated | |||
| Game 14 | 1 – 0 | Washington eliminated | |||
| May 26 | Championship Game | 10 – 2 5 | Arizona Wins 1997 WCWS | ||
| School | Top Batter | Stats. |
|---|---|---|
| Arizona Wildcats | Nancy Evans (P) | 1-3 3RBIs 2B BB |
| UCLA Bruins | Julie Marshall (3B) | 1-2 RBI HR |
| School | Pitcher | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | AB | BF | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arizona Wildcats | Nancy Evans (W) | 5.0 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 20 | 21 | |
| UCLA Bruins | Christa Williams (L) | 5.0 | 11 | 10 | 8 | 5 | 7 | 25 | 33 |
The following players were members of the All-Tournament Team.[4]
| Position | Player | Class | School | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | Jamie Graves | Freshman | Washington | |
| Sophomore | Massachusetts | |||
| Christa Williams | Freshman | UCLA | ||
| C | Freshman | UCLA | ||
| 1B | Senior | Arizona | ||
| Alleah Poulson | Senior | UCLA | ||
| 2B | Nina Lindenberg | Junior | Fresno State | |
| Sara Pickering | Senior | Washington | ||
| SS | Christy Hebert | Senior | Iowa | |
| 3B | Melissa Gentile | Freshman | Michigan | |
| OF | Alison Johnsen | Junior | Arizona | |
| MOP | Nancy Evans | Junior | Arizona |