OKC Bound: ESPN Covers Every Pitch of the Women’s College World Series for 19th Consecutive Season with Event’s Largest On-Site Production Ever

• ESPN’s Flagship MLB Show Baseball Tonight  Live from Oklahoma City for First Time; WCWS Studio Coverage Also Live from USA Softball Hall of Fame Stadium
• 7Innings Podcast Live Second Screen Viewing Option Returns for Championship Series
• Beth Mowins, Jessica Mendoza, Michele Smith and Holly Rowe Return for 12th Year Together

For the 19th consecutive season, ESPN will televise every game of the Women’s College World Series (WCWS), with this year’s production boosted by its most extensive on-site studio presence in the event’s history. The action begins Thursday, May 30, from USA Softball Hall of Fame Stadium – OGE Energy Field in Oklahoma City with a four-day, eight-team, double-elimination round robin, advancing two teams to the WCWS Finals. The best-of-three championship series begins Monday, June 3, and concludes with the crowning of the national champion on Tuesday, June 4, or Wednesday, June 5. Games will be available on ESPN or ESPN2, along with every game available on the ESPN App.

In its 30th season, Baseball Tonight makes its WCWS debut as the lead-in to every game of the championship series. Adam Amin will host, joined by Tim Kurkjian and Amanda Scarborough. On Monday June 3, the show will air at 7 p.m., and at 8 p.m. on Tuesday and Wednesday (if necessary), covering a mix of MLB and NCAA Softball topics, with Monday’s edition including live updates of the MLB Draft.

Tickets Punched
For the first time since 2003, the three programs with the most titles—Arizona (No. 6 seed), Oklahoma (No. 1 Seed) and UCLA (No. 2 Seed)—will all play in the same WCWS. The remaining field consists of No. 3 Washington, No. 5 Florida, No. 7 Minnesota, No. 8 Alabama and No. 13 Oklahoma State.

Arizona will open play against Washington on Thursday at noon ET, followed by Minnesota vs. UCLA at 2:30 p.m. with both games available on ESPN. The evening slate will move to ESPN2 with Oklahoma State vs. Florida at 7 p.m. and Alabama vs. Oklahoma at 9:30 p.m.

Shaggin’ Stats

• UCLA will make its 29th WCWS appearance, the most of any of the 8 teams; 5th straight appearance, the most consecutive appearances in the field
• Minnesota makes its first ever WCWS appearance; Oklahoma State its first since 2011
• Conference Breakdown: Three teams from the Pac-12, two from the Big 12, two from the SEC and one from the Big Ten

ESPN’s All-Star WCWS Commentator Line-Up
Throughout the double elimination rounds of the tournament ESPN will feature two commentator teams:

Primetime: Beth Mowins, Jessica Mendoza, Michele Smith, and Holly Rowe

Mowins has been on the call for 26 WCWS events, Smith and Rowe for 16 and Mendoza for 13. Mendoza was a four-time All American at Stanford and a member of the gold medal winning USA National Team at the 2004 Olympic games in Athens, and the silver medal winning team at the 2008 Beijing games. Smith was a two-time All American at Oklahoma State, two-time Olympic gold medalist (1996 Atlanta and 2000 Sydney Games) and an eight-time Japan Pro League MVP.

Mowins, Mendoza, Smith and Rowe will also be on the call for the entire championship series marking the 12^th year together for the team.

Day Side: Adam Amin, Amanda Scarborough and Tiffany Greene

Amin and Scarborough will call their fifth consecutive WCWS together, joined by Tiffany Greene who makes her WCWS debut. Scarborough was a two-time All American at Texas A&M and the only player in Big 12 history to receive Freshman of the Year and Player of the Year in the same season.

Largest On-Site Studio Presence Ever
In addition to Baseball Tonight, for the second year in a row, ESPN’s WCWS studio coverage will originate from USA Softball Hall of Fame Stadium. Molly McGrath will anchor pre and post-game segments throughout the tournament alongside softball analysts Kayla Braud and Danielle Lawrie. Both Braud and Lawrie know something about national championships as they each have one of their own from their time at Alabama (2012) and Washington (2009), respectively.

SEC Now, the home for Southeastern Conference news and information on SEC Network, will air a live wrap-up show each evening following the completion of the day’s last game. Alyssa Lang will host, joined by Braud and Madison Shipman, a three-time All American shortstop at Tennessee. SEC Now will be on site in OKC for every day of the early rounds and, should an SEC team advance, throughout the championship series as well.

espnW
espnW will continue to provide the latest news, scores and highlights on its website and various social handles throughout the Women’s College World Series. Look for these features and more:

• Meet Samantha Show, Oklahoma State’s bat-flipping, flame throwing superstar
• Spotlight on Oklahoma’s sensational seniors
• espnW unveils its 2019 softball player of the year

7Innings
Last year’s 7Innings Podcast Live is back by popular demand as an alternative viewing option during the entire championship series.  Available on ESPN3 for game one and ESPNU for games two and three, 7Innings Podcast Live will feature WCWS commentator crew Amin, Scarborough and Greene, and studio analyst Braud as they provide analysis, in-the-moment reactions and interviews with special guests in a laid back setting on the studio set out in the right field corner.

2019 Women’s College World Series Television Schedule

*If Necessary

-30-