Things to watch during Championship Series between Oklahoma, Florida State

OKLAHOMA CITY — The path to a third straight national championship for Oklahoma ends with Florida State.

The two teams begin their best-of-three Championship Series at 7 p.m. today (ESPN) in Oklahoma City. It's a rematch of the 2021 final, when the Sooners bested the Seminoles in three games.

The last time these teams met was in March at Marita Hynes Field. The Seminoles took a 3-2 lead in the top of the fourth before the Sooners scored two runs in the bottom of the frame, winning 5-4 in a tightly-contested game.

But OU coach Patty Gasso said the Sooners can't reflect too much on that previous meeting.

"It was a good matchup," Gasso said during Wednesday's availability. "It was good for fans if you were watching. They're very well coached. They're hard working. They have some returners who have been through this. So they're very similar to us.

"Am I surprised that we're both here? No. But they're very similar. But we're a different team than we were in March, as are they. So we're familiar with names and their style, but we've got to go back to the drawing board like we haven't seen them before."

As the Sooners prepare for their final games of the season, here's an overview of Florida State and a few things to watch:

Record: 58-9

Offense: 6.09 runs per game (13th nationally)

Defense: 1.59 Earned Run Average (4th nationally)

Top batter: Kaley Mudge (.351 BA, 49 R, 73 H, 43 RBI, .538 SLG, .412 OBP)

Top pitcher: Kathryn Sandercock (28-3 WL, 1.05 ERA, 123 H, 46 R, 116 K, 186 IP)

Wins: 8-0 Oklahoma State, 3-1 Washington, 5-1 Tennessee

Losses: none

1. How much does Gasso rely on Jordy Bahl?

During the regular season, Gasso was dedicated to giving equal opportunities to Alex Storako, Nicole May and Bahl in the circle. In the postseason, particularly at the WCWS, it's been Bahl leading the way.

The sophomore has pitched 14.2 of the 21 innings the Sooners have played in OKC, tossing 20 strikeouts while surrendering 10 hits and zero runs. She started consecutive games against Stanford and Tennessee before pitching the final four innings in Monday's semifinals rematch with Stanford.

May pitched five innings against Stanford, surrendering a first-inning home run before retiring 13 straight batters, Storako, however, has pitched just 0.2 innings during the WCWS.

May and Storako will see some opportunities against Florida State. But with the way Bahl has been pitching, Gasso will likely ride the hot hand.

2. Can the Sooners’ offense find success against Sandercock?

Stanford pitcher Nijaree Canady solidified herself as one of the best pitchers in softball, and she gave the Sooners their toughest tests of the season. But a couple of timely hits made the difference for OU.

The Sooners aren't likely to be tested to that extent against Florida State. But that doesn't mean facing Sandercock will be easy.

The redshirt senior has been a standout pitcher for years and has had another great season in 2023. She ranks sixth nationally in ERA and has pitched 186 innings. No other FSU player has pitched more than 78.

"She's such a competitive pitcher," OU shortstop Grace Lyons said. "I think we've seen a lot of competitive pitchers this year, but she has a really cool way she pitches. She does a lot of different things and keeps hitters on edge. So I think we're just excited to get her best and Florida State's best because it's going to take a complete team on both sides to win a series."

Game 1: Wednesday, 7 PM CT, ESPN

Game 2: Thursday, 6:30 PM CT, ESPN

Game 3 (if necessary): Friday, 7 PM CT, ESPN