Women's College World Series: What To Know About Arizona's Opener

TUCSON, AZ — The Arizona Wildcats are making their 24th appearance in the Women's Softball College World Series this weekend.

The Wildcats qualified for the eight-team event after beating No. 5 seed Arkansas twice in the best-of-three super regional round last weekend, 10-4 and 4-1.

Arizona last made the event in 2019, with the WCWS being canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.

The Wildcats open WCWS play against Alabama on Thursday night, playing the third-seeded Crimson Tide at 4 p.m. MST (6 p.m. in Oklahoma City).

Here's what you need to know about Thursday's contest between Arizona and Alabama:

How to Watch: The Wildcats and Crimson Tide will play at 4 p.m. MST on ESPN, in game 3 of the four-game slate of action from Oklahoma City.

What to Watch: Arizona is 14-6 all-time against Alabama, with the Crimson Tide winning six of the team's last 10 matchups. The Wildcats have the second-most appearances in the WCWS, behind UCLA, who's qualified 30 times.

Who to Watch: For Alabama, keep an eye on infielder Bailey Hemphill, who led the Crimson Tide in home runs (12) and RBIs (52) this season. Pitcher Montana Fouts has been excellent in the circle for Alabama as well, posting a 1.49 ERA in 196.2 innings pitched, with 314 strikeouts as well.

For Arizona, keep an eye on catcher Dejah Mulipola, who led the Wildcats in average (.401), home runs (21) and RBIs (63). Freshman catcher Sharlize Palacios finished third in the Pac-12 Conference in home runs (18) and RBIs (57). In the circle, Arizona will rely on Alyssa Denham, who has 19 wins this season.

What's At Stake?: The WCWS is a double-elimination event, meaning both teams could advance even with a loss on Thursday. A win would set either side up with a game against the winner of Thursday's UCLA-Florida State contest, while the loser would play the team that loses in that contest. From there, the loser of Friday's second round winner's bracket contest would face off against the winner of the game against the two sides that lost in the opening round contest. From there, the semifinals are on Sunday, while the finals are a best-of-three series held between next Monday and Wednesday.