Early Predictions for the last 8 teams standing for the 2023 WCWS

[TropicalSooner]

A popular topic on a couple of other boards.
I'm sure everyone here has some thoughts -- or at least favorites -- on this.
Let's see who you like!

[inconnu]

OU, UCLA, Arkansas, LosuR, Florida, Alabama, Arizona, Fighting Alamedas

tx loses Iakopo and Jefferson, and pitcher Dolcini. I think(and hope, of course)that they come up short on making the WCWS.

[TropicalSooner]

The top 2:

1) OU

2) UCLA -- Losing their infield - Washington, Perez, & Wisz, OF Jordan, & pitchers Holly Azevedo and Lauren Shaw. Key retention: star pitcher Megan Faraimo. Incoming Transfers: Palacios & Meono from Zona and Cid & pitcher Brooke Yanez from Oregon. Incoming freshmen: Infielders: Grant, Woolery, Powell, Pinedo & Suarez, catcher Alexis Ramirez, and pitcher Taylor Tinsley. Ramirez and Tinsley will be immediate help to the team. Time will tell how well the new infielders adapt to the collegiate environment and how well they all mesh together along with the remaining core of players still on the team. If the newcomers mesh well, then the Bruins will be the team to beat and we'll probably see them in the finals. Assuming the Sooners do happen to lose a game at some point in the season, one could very well be to UCLA.

The rest in no particular order:

3) Arkansas -- The Hogs lost some core players to graduation but they are bringing in a couple of xfers, Halvorson and Foreman to strengthen the infield and they are bringing in arguably a very good freshman class. Besides, I like Delce. I think she will anchor the pitching staff but some of the newbies, Camenzind and Herron will have to show their stuff early on. The first pass through the SEC will be in their favor being unknown to the other teams, but they will need to stiffen after their opponents get their second look. But Arky has some good players and Deifel did get them to the supers last year. Hopefully they learned from that experience.

4) Okla. State -- The Cowgirls have lost a lot from last years team. Elish and Day have graduated and they and lost a host of other players either due to graduation or transferring out. But Kenny G always puts together a competitive team. Incoming transfers including Kilfoyl from Alabama will definitely bolster the new version of the Cowgirls. I think like last year they will take awhile to learn to gel together, and Kilfoyl is coming off surgery, so how her recovery goes will determine how far the Cowgirls really can go. Maxwell is back and will anchor the team but she can't carry the whole team on her back, or she will suffer the same fate as Dolcini.

5) Florida State -- Basically I like Sandercock. They also bring in Grad Student Ali DuBois from Boston Univ. She redshirted last year but the year before had a 25-2 record and 1.05 ERA. Those coupled with incoming freshman Madi Balk should give the Seminoles a solid pitching staff while they build their offense. Lonni Alameda has brought them to OKC before and she knows how to do it again. Besides, I think Kathryn Sandercock wants one more shot at the Sooners without Alo bashing her.

6) Northwestern -- The Wildcats return 5 seniors and their entire starting lineup minus Rachel Lewis, which also includes their star pitcher Danielle Williams. The Cats will be well seasoned after last year's run to the WCWS and I actually expect them to run through the B1G kinda like I expect UCLA to run through the PAC 12. Williams needs some help but I expect their pitching coach Gascoigne to find a good #2 and maybe a #3. Lauren Boyd was injured much of last year but healthy looks to be #2 and Lauren Dvorak perhaps improves to be that #3. Williams was way overworked last year but in spite of that made it to OKC. With a little help to keep her fresh, I expect the Cats to be here again.

7) Florida -- I'm kind of wrestling around between Florida and Tennessee, and I'm thinking Florida is going to win out. I just like their pitching staff a little better. Nothing against Ashley Rogers at Tennessee, but she can't carry them alone--she tried to last year and couldn't. Delbry is a good pitcher, and Hightower and Trilicek also will be back. The Gators are not a power hitting team. They only hit 37 HRs as a team. In a good year we might have 2 or 3 Sooners get close to that alone. However, 5 of their 6 returning starters are over .300 hitters and over .800 OPS, and as a team last year they did have 132 SBs out of 149 att. We had 60/77. If they can figure out some more power to their offense, then I think we see them in OKC again.

8) Clemson -- Here is my out of left field pick. I wanted to go with V.T. but Rochard graduated and two other pitchers hit the portal. Sophomore Lemley is back but she is left without backup. So I go with Clemson. The tigers are the kind of team that will beat you 1-0, or 3-2, or 2-1. Patient and pitching dependent. Valerie Cagle is their go to pitcher, and #'s 2 and 3 all had ERA's under 2.0. The Tigers ran out of gas against the Cowgirls last year, losing 0-2 and 1-5. But if they can find a way to build up their offense, I think their pitching can make another run and show up at OKC this time.

And......why not.......:

Bama? Fouts is an All Star but she is alone. Her offense failed her last year and now half of them left. If Murphy can get his locker room back....then he's in rebuild mode. If not, it'll be a long year.

Tejas? Dolcini is gone. Need you say more? OK....so is Jefferson, Iakopo, Smith....etc. Czech and Simpson are back, and they had some bright spots last year, but both were inconsistent and last year their defense was, well, not good. The ONLY reason they made the finals was, well---you know--the bizarre double error by the Cowgirls in the 5th inning that gave Texas 3 free runs. I just don't think the shorthorns are going to be as lucky this time around.