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For the seventh-seeded Stanford Cardinal, today’s game against UCLA may seem a little odd. The two California schools are flying to Oklahoma City for the first round of the Women’s College World Series. Stanford (47-17) won the regional it hosted after surviving a scare by unranked Hofstra on championship day. The Cardinal finished tied for second in the Pac-10 and was one of the conference’s surprise teams. “We’re very proud of our team,” Stanford coach John Rittman said. “They’ve been through a lot this year, had some injuries.” UCLA was shut out by Stanford’s Dana Sorensen in the team’s first meeting, but the Bruins scored 13 runs in a pair of wins three weeks ago. While UCLA only used one pitcher in regionals, senior Keira Goerl, Stanford is more likely to use multiple pitchers. “We have a pitching staff, so you’re going to most likely see both of our pitchers,” Rittman said.

LSU V. MICHIGAN: Like most teams at the WCWS, third-seeded Louisiana State earned its spot by sweeping its regional. The Tigers are the only representatives from an up-and-coming Southeastern conference. They are one of the more balanced teams in the nation but do not have as much experience against top-tier competition as the Pac-10 teams. “This is the best team chemistry I’ve ever had in these young women, and I’m just happy for them to experience the College World Series,” LSU coach Yvette Girouard said. LSU will face sixth-seeded Michigan in its first game. The Wolverines had to survive a tough test by Oregon State and the weather to make it to Oklahoma. While Michigan is making the WCWS for the seventh time, it has a 2-12 record in its six previous appearances. “We’re not just happy to be here, we’re very excited about our opportunity,” Michigan coach Carol Hutchins said. Back in the second week of the season, UCLA defeated Michigan 3-0. If UCLA defeats Stanford, it will face the winner of the LSU-Michigan game. If UCLA loses, it will face the loser of LSU-Michigan.

OKLAHOMA V. WASHINGTON: On the other side of the bracket, top-seed Oklahoma should be boosted by the home crowd. The Sooners may need the advantage, as they are the only team outside the top 10 to make the WCWS. Oklahoma defeated top-ranked Arizona in regionals. The Wildcats then lost to Louisiana-Lafayette on Saturday, leaving a wide open regional. After a wild regional championship day, the Sooners clinched their fifth-straight WCWS appearance. “We know we don’t have the record of a No. 1 seed,” Oklahoma coach Patty Gasso said. “We had a very tough regional like everyone else, where we went in as underdogs. Everybody stepped up in the lineup and got hot at the right time.” They will face eighth-seeded Washington in the first round. The Huskies struggled near the end of the Pac-10 season but swept their regional in Georgia. Washington will rely on the power of catcher Kristen Rivera, the Pac-10 Player of the Year.

FLORIDA STATE V. CAL: The final opening-round game will feature fourth-seeded Florida State facing fifth-seeded Cal. Florida State comes into the WCWS with 60 wins, more than any other team in the tournament, but most of them came in a weak Atlantic Coast Conference. The Seminoles are led by national Player of the Year finalist Jessica van der Linden, who is their best pitcher and starting center fielder when she does not pitch. Cal finished the season in a tie for second place in the Pac-10 and is one of the hotter teams in the nation. The winner in this game will face the winner of Oklahoma-Washington, while the losers of these two games will also face off.