| Year: | 2021 |
| Teams: | 64 |
| Wcwsballpark: | USA Softball Hall of Fame Stadium |
| City: | Oklahoma City |
| Champions: | Oklahoma |
| Titlecount: | 5th |
| Runner-Up: | Florida State |
| Wcwscount: | 11th |
| Coach: | Patty Gasso |
| Coachcount: | 5th |
| Mop: | Giselle Juarez |
| Mopteam: | Oklahoma |
| Television: | ESPN ESPN2 ESPN3 ABC |
| Different Previous: | 2019 |
The 2021 NCAA Division I softball tournament was held from May 21 through June 10, 2021 as the final part of the 2021 NCAA Division I softball season. 31 teams were awarded automatic bids as champions of their conferences after the Ivy League opted out of the 2021 softball season. The remaining 33 were selected at-large by the NCAA Division I softball selection committee on May 16, 2021. The tournament culminated with eight teams playing in the 2021 Women's College World Series at USA Softball Hall of Fame Stadium in Oklahoma City.[1]
The Big Ten, Big West, Mountain West, Pac-12, and West Coast Conference bids were awarded to the regular-season champion. All other conferences had their automatic bid go to the conference tournament winner.
| Conference | School | Best finish | Reference | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Regionals (2002, 2019) | ||||
| Regionals (1989, 2005, 2016, 2018) | ||||
| First appearance | ||||
| A-10 | First appearance | |||
| Regionals (2002, 2011, 2018) | ||||
| Champions (2000, 2013, 2016, 2017) | ||||
| First appearance | ||||
| Regionals (2013) | ||||
| Regionals (1995, 2008, 2009) | ||||
| Champions (2005) | ||||
| WCWS (1986, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993) | ||||
| Super Regionals (2016, 2019) | ||||
| Regionals (2013, 2015) | ||||
| WCWS (1994) | ||||
| Ivy League season canceled | ||||
| Regionals (2005, 2009, 2012, 2016) | ||||
| Regionals (1999) | ||||
| First appearance | ||||
| WCWS (1970, 1977, 1978) | ||||
| Champions (1998) | ||||
| Regionals (2017, 2018, 2019) | ||||
| Regionals (2002, 2004) | ||||
| Champions (1982, 1984, 1985, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1992, 1999, 2003, 2004, 2010, 2019) | ||||
| Regionals (1996, 2002, 2003, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2014, 2016, 2018, 2019) | ||||
| Champions (2012) | ||||
| Regionals (1997, 2018) | ||||
| Regionals (1994, 2005, 2010, 2016, 2017, 2018) | ||||
| Regionals (2016, 2019) | ||||
| First appearance | ||||
| WCWS (1993, 1995, 1996, 2003, 2008, 2014) | ||||
| Regionals (2019) | ||||
| Super Regionals (2010) | ||||
| Team | Conference | |
|---|---|---|
| Pac-12 | ||
| Pac-12 | ||
| SEC | ||
| SEC | ||
| Big 12 | ||
| ACC | ||
| SEC | ||
| ACC | ||
| SEC | ||
| Big 12 | ||
| SEC | ||
| ASUN | ||
| SEC | ||
| Big Ten | ||
| SEC | ||
| SEC | ||
| MVC | ||
| Big Ten | ||
| ACC | ||
| Big 12 | ||
| SEC | ||
| Pac-12 | ||
| Sun Belt | ||
| American | ||
| Pac-12 | ||
| SEC | ||
| Big 12 | ||
| SEC | ||
| Sun Belt | ||
| Sun Belt | ||
| American | ||
| ACC | ||
| Pac-12 |
| Conference | Total | Schools | |
|---|---|---|---|
| SEC | 12 | Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, LSU, Mississippi State, Missouri, Ole Miss, Tennessee, Texas A&M | |
| Pac-12 | 6 | Arizona, Arizona State, Oregon, Stanford, UCLA, Washington | |
| ACC | 5 | Clemson, Duke, Florida State, Notre Dame, Virginia Tech | |
| Big 12 | 5 | Baylor, Iowa State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas | |
| Sun Belt | 4 | Louisiana, South Alabama, Texas State, Troy | |
| American | 3 | South Florida, UCF, Wichita State | |
| Big Ten | 3 | Michigan, Minnesota, Northwestern | |
| ASUN | 2 | Liberty, Kennesaw State | |
| Missouri Valley | 2 | Northern Iowa, Southern Illinois | |
| Mountain West | 1 | Fresno State | |
| America East | 1 | UMBC | |
| Atlantic 10 | 1 | George Washington | |
| Big East | 1 | Villanova | |
| Big Sky | 1 | Portland State | |
| Big South | 1 | Campbell | |
| Big West | 1 | Long Beach State | |
| Colonial | 1 | James Madison | |
| 1 | Western Kentucky | ||
| Horizon | 1 | UIC | |
| MAAC | 1 | Manhattan | |
| Mid-American | 1 | Miami (OH) | |
| Mid-Eastern | 1 | Morgan State | |
| Northeast | 1 | Saint Francis (PA) | |
| Ohio Valley | 1 | Eastern Kentucky | |
| Patriot | 1 | Boston University | |
| SoCon | 1 | UNC Greensboro | |
| Southland | 1 | McNeese State | |
| Southwestern | 1 | Alabama State | |
| Summit | 1 | South Dakota State | |
| WAC | 1 | Seattle | |
| West Coast | 1 | BYU |
16 National Seeds were announced on the Selection Show, on Sunday, May 16 at 9 p.m. EDT on ESPN2. 15 of the 16 national seeds hosted Regionals. Teams in italics advanced to Super Regionals. Teams in bold advanced to the Women's College World Series.1. Oklahoma
2.
3. Alabama
4.
5.
6. Arkansas
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12. Texas
13. (not a host)
14.
15.
16.
The Regionals took place May 20–23. The Super Regionals took place May 27–30.
The Women's College World Series was held June 3 through June 10 in Oklahoma City.
| School | Conference | Record (conference) | Head coach | WCWS appearances† (including 2021 WCWS) | WCWS best finish†* | WCWS W–L record† (excluding 2021 WCWS) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50–7 (18–6) | 13 (last: 2019) | 1st (2012) | 20–23 | ||||
| 41–13 (12–10) | 24 (last: 2019) | 1st (1991, 1993, 1994, 1996 1997, 2001, 2006, 2007) | 62–34 | ||||
| 44-10-1 (26–5-1) | 11 (last: 2018) | 1st (2018) | 13–18 | ||||
| 34–21 (7–17) | 5 (last: 2018) | 3rd (2009, 2010) | 5–8 | ||||
| 39–2 (17–1) | 1 | — | — | ||||
| 50–2 (16–1) | 14 (last: 2019) | 1st (2000, 2013, 2016, 2017) | 32–20 | ||||
| 47–10 (15–3) | 9 (last: 2019) | 3rd (1989, 1990, 1993, 1994) | 12–16 | ||||
| 46–5 (19–2) | 30 (last: 2019) | 1st (1982, 1984, 1985, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1992, 1999, 2003, 2004, 2010, 2019) | 103–36 |
| Date[2] | Game | Winning team | Score | Losing team | Winning pitcher | Losing pitcher | Save | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| June 3 | Game 1 | Odicci Alexander (17–1) | Shannon Saile (17–1) | – | – | ||||
| Game 2 | 3–2 | Carrie Eberle (26–3) | Mary Wilson Avant (20–11) | – | – | ||||
| Game 3 | 5–1 | Montana Fouts (26–3) | Hanah Bowen (11–3) | – | – | ||||
| Game 4 | 4–0 | Rachel Garcia (18–1) | – | – | |||||
| June 4 | Game 5 | James Madison | 2–1 | Odicci Alexander (18–1) | Carrie Eberle (26–4) | – | JMU: First unseeded team in WCWS history to advance to the semifinals[3] | ||
| Game 6 | Alabama | 6–0 | UCLA | Montana Fouts (27–3) | Rachel Garcia (18–2) | – | Montana Fouts perfect game; sixth in WCWS history[4] [5] | ||
| June 5 | Game 7 | Oklahoma | Georgia | Giselle Juarez (19–1) | Mary Wilson Avant (20–12) | – | Georgia eliminated | ||
| Game 8 | Florida State | 4–3 | Arizona | Mariah Lopez (9–3) | – | Arizona eliminated | |||
| Game 9 | Oklahoma | 10–3 | UCLA | Giselle Juarez (20–1) | Rachel Garcia (18–3) | – | UCLA eliminated | ||
| Florida State | 4–2 | Oklahoma State | Kelly Maxwell (15–5) | – | Oklahoma State eliminated | ||||
| June 6 | Game 11 | Oklahoma | 6–3 | James Madison | Nicole May (15–1) | Odicci Alexander (18–2) | – | – | |
| Game 12 | Florida State | 2–0 | Alabama | Lexi Kilfoyl (14–3) | – | – | |||
| June 7 | Game 13 | Oklahoma | 7–1 | James Madison | Giselle Juarez (21–1) | Odicci Alexander (18–3) | – | James Madison eliminated | |
| Game 14 | Florida State | 8–5 | Alabama | Danielle Watson (11–1) | Montana Fouts (27–4) | – | Alabama eliminated | ||
| Finals | |||||||||
| June 8 | Game 1 | Florida State | 8–4 | Oklahoma | Danielle Watson (12–1) | Nicole May (15–2) | – | Florida State 1–0 | |
| June 9 | Game 2 | Oklahoma | 6–2 | Florida State | Giselle Juarez (22–1) | – | Tied 1–1 | ||
| Game 3 | Oklahoma | 5–1 | Florida State | Giselle Juarez (23–1) | Danielle Watson (12–2) | – | Oklahoma wins WCWS | ||
The following players were members of the Women's College World Series All-Tournament Team.
| Position | Player | School | |
|---|---|---|---|
| P | Giselle Juarez (MOP) | style= | Oklahoma |
| style= | James Madison | ||
| style= | Alabama | ||
| Kathryn Sandercock | style= | Florida State | |
| 2B | style= | Oklahoma | |
| OF | Mackenzie Donihoo | style= | Oklahoma |
| Kate Gordon | style= | James Madison | |
| style= | Oklahoma | ||
| Kaley Mudge | style= | Florida State | |
| C | style= | Oklahoma | |
| U | style= | Oklahoma | |
| style= | Alabama |
| Conference |
| Record | Win % | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Big 12 | 5 | 23–12 | ||||||||
| ACC | 5 | 19–11 | ||||||||
| SEC | 12 | 35–25 | ||||||||
| CAA | 1 | 7–3 | ||||||||
| Pac-12 | 6 | 21–14 | ||||||||
| American | 3 | 6–6 | ||||||||
| Big Ten | 3 | 5–6 | ||||||||
| ASUN | 2 | 3–4 | ||||||||
| Sun Belt | 4 | 6–8 | ||||||||
| WCC | 1 | 2–2 | ||||||||
| Other | 22 | 8–44 |
For the first time ever Westwood One will provide nationwide radio coverage of every game in the Women's College World Series. It was streamed online at westwoodsports.com, through TuneIn, and on SiriusXM. Ryan Radtke and Leah Amico return as the broadcast team.
ESPN held exclusive rights to the tournament. The network aired games across ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, SEC Network, Longhorn Network, ACC Network and ESPN3. For just the fourth time in the history of the women's softball tournament, ESPN covered every regional. ABC will air a super regional game for the first time in tournament history.[6]
Regionals
Super Regionals
Women's College World Series
Regionals
Super Regionals
Women's College World Series Finals