'Everyone is beatable.' Former FSU softball coach believes Seminoles can win championship

There’s no way to know how long No. 1 Oklahoma’s softball dominance can last.

But this much is certain:

No. 3 Florida State has the chance to make history, too.

“Everyone is beatable,” former FSU coach and Hall of Famer JoAnne Graf said.

“I think FSU has a great advantage because it has nothing to lose.”

FSU and Oklahoma open the best-of-three national championship series in the Women’s College World Series Wednesday at 8 p.m. on ESPN.

Oklahoma is the odds-on favorite (-400, you have to bet $400 to win $100) in the opener, according to DraftKings sports book. The Sooners entered the WCWS as a -800 favorite to capture the title.

The weather in Oklahoma City Wednesday is expected to be partly cloudy with temps in the high-80s. There's a 15% chance of rain, with a stray shower or thunderstorm possible, according to The Weather Channel.

Both Oklahoma, Florida State softball chasing history in WCWS

Oklahoma (59-1) is seeking to become only the second team in Division history to win three consecutive WCWS titles (UCLA, 1988-90).

The Seminoles (58-9) have reached the WCWS championship series in their last three trips to Oklahoma City, winning the title in 2018.

FSU coach Lonni Alameda says her team feels comfortable on the national stage.

“I always fall back on how we do things,” Alameda said.

“We have a saying, how you do things is how you do everything. What we're doing now is no different than what we did in February or March. We really take pride as a program for building this time of year. I think we have this vision and it's mapped out and we check the boxes as we go along.

"I feel like, when you're building that process piece, then they can always rely on this is how we do things, and it's not something new at this point in the year."

Not only is this a rematch of the 2021 WCWS championship series, but it’s also the second meeting between the two powerhouses this season.

FSU led Oklahoma 4-3 after 3 ½ innings, but Oklahoma rallied for a 5-4 victory in Norman, Oklahoma, March 14.

The Sooners’ lone defeat was at Baylor Feb. 18, when the Bears put up four runs in the third inning and escaped with a 4-3 victory. Oklahoma exacted a bit of revenge in their next meeting in April, beating No. 16 Baylor 7-0.

Oklahoma's one-loss season 'pretty phenomenal,' says JoAnne Graf

Graf, who led the Seminoles to consecutive slow pitch AIAW (now NCAA) National Championships in 1981 and 1982, described the Sooners’ one-loss season as “pretty phenomenal.”

Their winning percentage (98.3% ) currently stands as a school and NCAA record.

Oklahoma also leads the country in hitting (.368), pitching (0.98 ERA) and fielding (.988).  No team has ever led the nation in all three of those major categories in the same season in the history of college softball.

“You have to commend their coaching staff. It’s easy to get complacent or take a day off, so to speak,” said Graf, who has watched the WCWS from North Carolina, where she is hiking with friends and former FSU players.

“But Patty (Gasso, Oklahoma coach) and her coaches have done a great job keeping players focused and at a high level of intensity over the entire season. They are fundamentally sound. It’s difficult to beat them and you kind of have to hope they make a couple of mistakes and beat themselves.”

Both teams went undefeated in three WCWS games to advance to the title round.

While Oklahoma needed an extra-inning 4-2 victory over Stanford in Monday’s semifinal to reach their fourth straight championship series, FSU has outscored its opponents 16-2.

The Seminoles' pitching staff has been led by senior ace Kathryn Sandercock. She's 5-0 in the NCAA Tournament and has allowed just three earned runs in 35 innings of work during that span.

The Sooners have also had to deal with a distraction at the WCWS, defending for the way they play with emotion and excitement. Players have been criticized on social media for their outwardly excitement.

“That's the way we play, and that's what people enjoy,” Gasso said.

“Or you don't. You either like it or you don't, but we're not going to apologize for these players knowing the game and celebrating the right way."

FSU outfielder Jahni Kerr said the Seminoles are confident heading into the title series, focusing on staying in the moment.

“I would just say as a team, just staying in our circle, staying within ourselves,” she said.

“There’s a lot of outside noise right now. Obviously, we’re in the World Series, one of the final two teams. So I think just staying in ourselves…”

Most WCWS wins since 2018

19 – Oklahoma (19-8)14 – Florida State (14-4)11 – UCLA (11-6)6 – Washington (6-6)5 – Alabama (5-6)5 – Oklahoma State (5-8)

This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: JoAnne Graf explains why FSU softball can upset Oklahoma in WCWS