1997 NCAA Division I softball tournament

{{Infobox NCAA softball tournament |

| Year= 1997

| Image=

| ImageSize=

| Caption=

| Teams=32

| WCWSBallpark=ASA Hall of Fame Stadium

| City=Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

| Champions=Arizona

| TitleCount=5th

| Runner-Up=UCLA

| WCWSCount=15th

| Coach=Mike Candrea

| CoachCount=5th

| MOP=Nancy Evans

| MOPTeam=Arizona

| Attendance=

| Television=

}}

The 1997 NCAA Division I softball tournament was the sixteenth annual tournament to determine the national champion of NCAA women's collegiate softball. Held during May 1997, thirty-two Division I college softball teams contested the championship. The tournament featured eight regionals of four teams, each in a double elimination format. The 1997 Women's College World Series was held in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma from May 22 through May 26 and marked the conclusion of the 1997 NCAA Division I softball season. The event returned to Oklahoma City after a one-year hiatus, and it has remained there ever since. Arizona won their fifth NCAA championship by defeating UCLA 10–2 in the final game. Arizona pitcher Nancy Evans was named Women's College World Series Most Outstanding Player.{{cite book|url=http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/stats/softball_wcws_rb/2015/11-90s.pdf|title=2015 WCWS Records: 1990s Brackets/Rosters/Stats|publisher=NCAA|access-date=August 5, 2017}}{{cite book|url=http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/stats/softball_wcws_rb/2015/06-Results.pdf|publisher=NCAA|title=2015 WCWS Records: WCWS All-Time Results|access-date=August 5, 2017}}

Qualifying

Regionals

=Regional No. 1 - held at Tucson, Arizona=

{{4Team2ElimBracket

| RD1=First Round

| RD2=Semi-Finals

| RD3=Finals

| RD1-seed01=

| RD1-team01={{csb link|year=1997|team=Nebraska Cornhuskers|title=Nebraska}}

| RD1-score01=10⁶

| RD1-seed02=

| RD1-team02={{csb link|year=1997|team=Arizona State Sun Devils|title=Arizona State}}

| RD1-score02=1

| RD1-seed03=

| RD1-team03=Arizona

| RD1-score03=11⁶

| RD1-seed04=

| RD1-team04={{csb link|year=1997|team=Rider Broncs|title=Rider}}

| RD1-score04=2

| RD1-seed05=

| RD1-team05=Arizona State

| RD1-score05=12⁶

| RD1-seed06=

| RD1-team06=Rider

| RD1-score06=0

| RD2-seed01=

| RD2-team01=Nebraska

| RD2-score01=0

| RD2-seed02=

| RD2-team02=Arizona

| RD2-score02=2

| RD2-seed03=

| RD2-team03=Nebraska

| RD2-score03=2

| RD2-seed04=

| RD2-team04=Arizona State

| RD2-score04=1

| RD3-seed01=

| RD3-team01=Arizona

| RD3-score01-1=5

| RD3-score01-2=—

| RD3-seed02=

| RD3-team02=Nebraska

| RD3-score02-1=1

| RD3-score02-2=—

}}

Arizona qualifies for WCWS.

=Regional No. 2 - held at Columbia, South Carolina=

{{4Team2ElimBracket

| RD1=First Round

| RD2=Semi-Finals

| RD3=Finals

| RD1-seed01=

| RD1-team01={{csb link|year=1997|team=Kansas Jayhawks|title=Kansas}}

| RD1-score01=3

| RD1-seed02=

| RD1-team02={{csb link|year=1997|team=South Florida Bulls|title=South Florida}}

| RD1-score02=2

| RD1-seed03=

| RD1-team03={{csb link|year=1997|team=South Carolina Gamecocks|title=South Carolina}}

| RD1-score03=5

| RD1-seed04=

| RD1-team04={{csb link|year=1997|team=UNC Greensboro Spartans|title=UNC Greensboro}}

| RD1-score04=0

| RD1-seed05=

| RD1-team05=South Florida

| RD1-score05=2⁹

| RD1-seed06=

| RD1-team06=UNC Greensboro

| RD1-score06=0

| RD2-seed01=

| RD2-team01=Kansas

| RD2-score01=0

| RD2-seed02=

| RD2-team02=South Carolina

| RD2-score02=1

| RD2-seed03=

| RD2-team03=Kansas

| RD2-score03=3

| RD2-seed04=

| RD2-team04=South Florida

| RD2-score04=1

| RD3-seed01=

| RD3-team01=South Carolina

| RD3-score01-1=1

| RD3-score01-2=—

| RD3-seed02=

| RD3-team02=Kansas

| RD3-score02-1=0

| RD3-score02-2=—

}}

South Carolina qualifies for WCWS.

=Regional No. 3 - held at Iowa City, Iowa=

{{4Team2ElimBracket

| RD1=First Round

| RD2=Semi-Finals

| RD3=Finals

| RD1-seed01=

| RD1-team01={{csb link|year=1997|team=Utah Utes|title=Utah}}

| RD1-score01=3

| RD1-seed02=

| RD1-team02={{csb link|year=1997|team=Missouri Tigers|title=Missouri}}

| RD1-score02=1

| RD1-seed03=

| RD1-team03={{csb link|year=1997|team=Iowa Hawkeyes|title=Iowa}}

| RD1-score03=2

| RD1-seed04=

| RD1-team04={{csb link|year=1997|team=DePaul Blue Demons|title=DePaul}}

| RD1-score04=1

| RD1-seed05=

| RD1-team05=Missouri

| RD1-score05=0

| RD1-seed06=

| RD1-team06=DePaul

| RD1-score06=1

| RD2-seed01=

| RD2-team01=Utah

| RD2-score01=1

| RD2-seed02=

| RD2-team02=Iowa

| RD2-score02=3

| RD2-seed03=

| RD2-team03=Utah

| RD2-score03=0

| RD2-seed04=

| RD2-team04=DePaul

| RD2-score04=2

| RD3-seed01=

| RD3-team01=Iowa

| RD3-score01-1=6

| RD3-score01-2=—

| RD3-seed02=

| RD3-team02=DePaul

| RD3-score02-1=2

| RD3-score02-2=—

}}

Iowa qualifies for WCWS.

=Regional No. 4 - held at Fresno, California=

{{4Team2ElimBracket

| RD1=First Round

| RD2=Semi-Finals

| RD3=Finals

| RD1-seed01=

| RD1-team01={{csb link|year=1997|team=Long Beach State 49ers|title=Long Beach State}}

| RD1-score01=3

| RD1-seed02=

| RD1-team02={{csb link|year=1997|team=Cal State Northridge Matadors|title=Cal State Northridge}}

| RD1-score02=0

| RD1-seed03=

| RD1-team03={{csb link|year=1997|team=Fresno State Bulldogs|title=Fresno State}}

| RD1-score03=7

| RD1-seed04=

| RD1-team04={{csb link|year=1997|team=California Golden Bears|title=California}}

| RD1-score04=0

| RD1-seed05=

| RD1-team05=Cal State Northridge

| RD1-score05=2

| RD1-seed06=

| RD1-team06=California

| RD1-score06=3⁹

| RD2-seed01=

| RD2-team01=Long Beach State

| RD2-score01=2

| RD2-seed02=

| RD2-team02=Fresno State

| RD2-score02=5¹⁰

| RD2-seed03=

| RD2-team03=Long Beach State

| RD2-score03=1

| RD2-seed04=

| RD2-team04=California

| RD2-score04=3

| RD3-seed01=

| RD3-team01=Fresno State

| RD3-score01-1=9

| RD3-score01-2=—

| RD3-seed02=

| RD3-team02=California

| RD3-score02-1=3

| RD3-score02-2=—

}}

Fresno State qualifies for WCWS.

=Regional No. 5 - held at Lafayette, Louisiana=

{{4Team2ElimBracket

| RD1=First Round

| RD2=Semi-Finals

| RD3=Finals

| RD1-seed01=

| RD1-team01={{nowrap|{{csb link|year=1997|team=Southwestern Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns|title=Southwestern Louisiana}}}}

| RD1-score01=2

| RD1-seed02=

| RD1-team02={{csb link|year=1997|team=Northeast Louisiana Indians|title=Northeast Louisiana}}

| RD1-score02=1

| RD1-seed03=

| RD1-team03=UCLA

| RD1-score03=3

| RD1-seed04=

| RD1-team04={{csb link|year=1997|team=Nicholls State Colonels|title=Nicholls State}}

| RD1-score04=0

| RD1-seed05=

| RD1-team05=Northeast Louisiana

| RD1-score05=1

| RD1-seed06=

| RD1-team06=Nicholls State

| RD1-score06=0

| RD2-seed01=

| RD2-team01={{nowrap|Southwestern Louisiana}}

| RD2-score01=4

| RD2-seed02=

| RD2-team02=UCLA

| RD2-score02=1

| RD2-seed03=

| RD2-team03=UCLA

| RD2-score03=3

| RD2-seed04=

| RD2-team04=Northeast Louisiana

| RD2-score04=0

| RD3-seed01=

| RD3-team01={{nowrap|Southwestern Louisiana}}

| RD3-score01-1=0

| RD3-score01-2=0

| RD3-seed02=

| RD3-team02=UCLA

| RD3-score02-1=9⁵

| RD3-score02-2=3

}}

UCLA qualifies for WCWS

=Regional No. 6 - held at Ann Arbor, Michigan=

{{4Team2ElimBracket

| RD1=First Round

| RD2=Semi-Finals

| RD3=Finals

| RD1-seed01=

| RD1-team01={{csb link|year=1997|team=Central Michigan Chippewas|title=Central Michigan}}

| RD1-score01=1

| RD1-seed02=

| RD1-team02={{csb link|year=1997|team=Michigan State Spartans|title=Michigan State}}

| RD1-score02=0

| RD1-seed03=

| RD1-team03={{csb link|year=1997|team=Michigan Wolverines|title=Michigan}}

| RD1-score03=1

| RD1-seed04=

| RD1-team04={{csb link|year=1997|team=Cleveland State Vikings|title=Cleveland State}}

| RD1-score04=0

| RD1-seed05=

| RD1-team05=Michigan State

| RD1-score05=6

| RD1-seed06=

| RD1-team06=Cleveland State

| RD1-score06=0

| RD2-seed01=

| RD2-team01=Central Michigan

| RD2-score01=0

| RD2-seed02=

| RD2-team02=Michigan

| RD2-score02=3

| RD2-seed03=

| RD2-team03=Central Michigan

| RD2-score03=6

| RD2-seed04=

| RD2-team04=Michigan State

| RD2-score04=4

| RD3-seed01=

| RD3-team01=Michigan

| RD3-score01-1=1

| RD3-score01-2=4

| RD3-seed02=

| RD3-team02=Central Michigan

| RD3-score02-1=3⁸

| RD3-score02-2=0

}}

Michigan qualifies for WCWS.

=Regional No. 7 - held at Norman, Oklahoma=

{{4Team2ElimBracket

| RD1=First Round

| RD2=Semi-Finals

| RD3=Finals

| RD1-seed01=

| RD1-team01={{csb link|year=1997|team=Oklahoma State Cowgirls|title=Oklahoma State}}

| RD1-score01=2

| RD1-seed02=

| RD1-team02={{csb link|year=1997|team=Oklahoma Sooners|title=Oklahoma}}

| RD1-score02=0

| RD1-seed03=

| RD1-team03={{csb link|year=1997|team=Washington Huskies|title=Washington}}

| RD1-score03=8⁵

| RD1-seed04=

| RD1-team04={{nowrap|{{csb link|year=1997|team=Southwest Missouri State Lady Bears|title=Southwest Missouri State}}}}

| RD1-score04=0

| RD1-seed05=

| RD1-team05=Oklahoma

| RD1-score05=7

| RD1-seed06=

| RD1-team06={{nowrap|Southwest Missouri State}}

| RD1-score06=2

| RD2-seed01=

| RD2-team01=Oklahoma State

| RD2-score01=2

| RD2-seed02=

| RD2-team02=Washington

| RD2-score02=5

| RD2-seed03=

| RD2-team03=Oklahoma State

| RD2-score03=5

| RD2-seed04=

| RD2-team04=Oklahoma

| RD2-score04=3

| RD3-seed01=

| RD3-team01=Washington

| RD3-score01-1=10

| RD3-score01-2=—

| RD3-seed02=

| RD3-team02=Oklahoma State

| RD3-score02-1=9

| RD3-score02-2=—

}}

Washington qualifies for WCWS.

=Regional No. 8 - held at Amherst, Massachusetts=

{{4Team2ElimBracket

| RD1=First Round

| RD2=Semi-Finals

| RD3=Finals

| RD1-seed01=

| RD1-team01={{csb link|year=1997|team=UMass Minutewomen|title=UMass}}

| RD1-score01=2

| RD1-seed02=

| RD1-team02={{csb link|year=1997|team=Boston College Eagles|title=Boston College}}

| RD1-score02=0

| RD1-seed03=

| RD1-team03={{csb link|year=1997|team=Colorado State Rams|title=Colorado State}}

| RD1-score03=10⁵

| RD1-seed04=

| RD1-team04={{csb link|year=1997|team=Brown Bears|title=Brown}}

| RD1-score04=0

| RD1-seed05=

| RD1-team05=Boston College

| RD1-score05=6

| RD1-seed06=

| RD1-team06=Brown

| RD1-score06=2

| RD2-seed01=

| RD2-team01=UMass

| RD2-score01=0

| RD2-seed02=

| RD2-team02=Colorado State

| RD2-score02=2

| RD2-seed03=

| RD2-team03=UMass

| RD2-score03=4

| RD2-seed04=

| RD2-team04=Boston College

| RD2-score04=1

| RD3-seed01=

| RD3-team01=Colorado State

| RD3-score01-1=1

| RD3-score01-2=2

| RD3-seed02=

| RD3-team02=UMass

| RD3-score02-1=3

| RD3-score02-2=3⁸

}}

UMass qualifies for WCWS.

Women's College World Series

=Participants=

School	Conference	Record	Head coach	WCWS appearances† (Including 1997 WCWS)
class="wikitable"
align=center \| Arizona	Pac-10	57–4	Mike Candrea	10
align=center \| {{csb link\|year=1997\|team=Fresno State Bulldogs\|title=Fresno State}}	Western Athletic	52–12	Margie Wright	10
align=center \| {{csb link\|year=1997\|team=Iowa Hawkeyes\|title=Iowa}}	Big Ten	51–7	Gayle Blevins	3
align=center \| {{csb link\|year=1997\|team=UMass Minutewomen\|title=UMass}}	Atlantic 10	37–21–1	Elaine Sortino	2
align=center \| {{csb link\|year=1997\|team=Michigan Wolverines\|title=Michigan}}	Big Ten	55–14–1	Carol Hutchins	3
align=center \| {{csb link\|year=1997\|team=South Carolina Gamecocks\|title=South Carolina}}	SEC	63–3	Joyce Compton	3
align=center \| UCLA	Pac-10	45–12	Sue Enquist	15
align=center \| {{csb link\|year=1997\|team=Washington Huskies\|title=Washington}}	Pac-10	48–17	Teresa Wilson	2

†: Excludes results of the pre-NCAA Women's College World Series of 1969 through 1981.

=Results=

==Bracket==

{{8TeamBracket-2Elim-D

| sets=1/1/2/1|

| RD1-seed01=1

| RD1-team01=Arizona

| RD1-score01=2⁸

| RD1-seed02=8

| RD1-team02={{csb link|year=1997|team=UMass Minutewomen|title=UMass}}

| RD1-score02=1

| RD1-seed03=4

| RD1-team03={{csb link|year=1997|team=Fresno State Bulldogs|title=Fresno State}}

| RD1-score03=0

| RD1-seed04=5

| RD1-team04=UCLA

| RD1-score04=2⁸

| RD1-seed05=8

| RD1-team05=UMass

| RD1-score05=1

| RD1-seed06=4

| RD1-team06=Fresno State

| RD1-score06=2

| RD1-seed07=3

| RD1-team07={{csb link|year=1997|team=Iowa Hawkeyes|title=Iowa}}

| RD1-score07=3

| RD1-seed08=6

| RD1-team08={{csb link|year=1997|team=Michigan Wolverines|title=Michigan}}

| RD1-score08=2

| RD1-seed09=7

| RD1-team09={{csb link|year=1997|team=Washington Huskies|title=Washington}}

| RD1-score09=6

| RD1-seed10=2

| RD1-team10={{csb link|year=1997|team=South Carolina Gamecocks|title=South Carolina}}

| RD1-score10=0

| RD1-seed11=6

| RD1-team11=Michigan

| RD1-score11=1

| RD1-seed12=2

| RD1-team12=South Carolina

| RD1-score12=0

| RD2-seed01=1

| RD2-team01=Arizona

| RD2-score01=2¹⁴

| RD2-seed02=5

| RD2-team02=UCLA

| RD2-score02=0

| RD2-seed03=4

| RD2-team03=Fresno State

| RD2-score03=7

| RD2-seed04=3

| RD2-team04=Iowa

| RD2-score04=6

| RD2-seed05=3

| RD2-team05=Iowa

| RD2-score05=1

| RD2-seed06=7

| RD2-team06=Washington

| RD2-score06=5

| RD2-seed07=6

| RD2-team07=Michigan

| RD2-score07=3

| RD2-seed08=5

| RD2-team08=UCLA

| RD2-score08=7

| RD3-seed01=1

| RD3-team01=Arizona

| RD3-score01-1=0

| RD3-score01-2=6

| RD3-seed02=4

| RD3-team02=Fresno State

| RD3-score02-1=3

| RD3-score02-2=3

| RD3-seed03=7

| RD3-team03=Washington

| RD3-score03-1=3

| RD3-score03-2=0

| RD3-seed04=5

| RD3-team04=UCLA

| RD3-score04-1=4

| RD3-score04-2=1

| RD4-seed01=1

| RD4-team01=Arizona

| RD4-score01=10⁵

| RD4-seed02=5

| RD4-team02=UCLA

| RD4-score02=2

}}

==Game results==

class="wikitable" ! Date !! Game !! Winner !! Score !! Loser !! Notes
align=center \|rowspan=4\| May 22	Game 1	Arizona	2 – 1 ⁸	{{csb link\|year=1997\|team=UMass Minutewomen\|title=UMass}}
align=center \| Game 2	UCLA	2 – 0 ⁸	{{csb link\|year=1997\|team=Fresno State Bulldogs\|title=Fresno State}}
align=center \| Game 3	{{csb link\|year=1997\|team=Iowa Hawkeyes\|title=Iowa}}	3 – 2	{{csb link\|year=1997\|team=Michigan Wolverines\|title=Michigan}}
align=center \| Game 4	{{csb link\|year=1997\|team=Washington Huskies\|title=Washington}}	6 – 0	{{csb link\|year=1997\|team=South Carolina Gamecocks\|title=South Carolina}}
align=center \|rowspan=2\| May 23	Game 5	Arizona	2 – 0 ¹⁴	UCLA
align=center \| Game 6	{{csb link\|year=1997\|team=Washington Huskies\|title=Washington}}	5 – 1	{{csb link\|year=1997\|team=Iowa Hawkeyes\|title=Iowa}}
align=center \|rowspan=4\| May 24	Game 7	{{csb link\|year=1997\|team=Fresno State Bulldogs\|title=Fresno State}}	2 – 1	{{csb link\|year=1997\|team=UMass Minutewomen\|title=UMass}}	UMass eliminated
align=center \| Game 8	{{csb link\|year=1997\|team=Michigan Wolverines\|title=Michigan}}	1 – 0	{{csb link\|year=1997\|team=South Carolina Gamecocks\|title=South Carolina}}	South Carolina eliminated
align=center \| Game 9	{{csb link\|year=1997\|team=Fresno State Bulldogs\|title=Fresno State}}	7 – 6	{{csb link\|year=1997\|team=Iowa Hawkeyes\|title=Iowa}}	Iowa eliminated
align=center \| Game 10	UCLA	7 – 3	{{csb link\|year=1997\|team=Michigan Wolverines\|title=Michigan}}	Michigan eliminated
align=center \|rowspan=4\| May 25	Game 11	{{csb link\|year=1997\|team=Fresno State Bulldogs\|title=Fresno State}}	3 – 0	Arizona	Fresno State forces the If Necessary Game (Game 13)
align=center \| Game 12	UCLA	4 – 3	{{csb link\|year=1997\|team=Washington Huskies\|title=Washington}}	UCLA forces the If Necessary Game (Game 14)
align=center \| Game 13	Arizona	6 – 3	{{csb link\|year=1997\|team=Fresno State Bulldogs\|title=Fresno State}}	Fresno State eliminated
align=center \| Game 14	UCLA	1 – 0	{{csb link\|year=1997\|team=Washington Huskies\|title=Washington}}	Washington eliminated
align=center \| May 26	Championship Game	Arizona	10 – 2 ⁵	UCLA	Arizona Wins 1997 WCWS
align=center

==Championship Game==

{{cite web |url=http://web1.ncaa.org/ncaa/event.do?championship=400022&division=400022400012&event=400740 |title=1997 Women's Division I Softball College World Series Game 15 |location=Ncaa.org |access-date=2018-06-08}}

class="wikitable"

! School

! Top Batter

! Stats.

Arizona Wildcats

| Nancy Evans (P)

| 1-3 3RBIs 2B BB

UCLA Bruins

| Julie Marshall (3B)

| 1-2 RBI HR

class="wikitable"

! School

! Pitcher

! IP

Arizona Wildcats

| Nancy Evans (W)

| 5.0

UCLA Bruins

| Christa Williams (L)

| 5.0

=All-Tournament Team=

The following players were members of the All-Tournament Team.{{cite book|url=http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/stats/softball_wcws_rb/2015/02-Tourn.pdf|publisher=NCAA|title=2015 WCWS Records: All-Time Tournament Records and Results|page=3|access-date=August 5, 2017}}

class="wikitable" ! Position !! Player !! Class !! School
align=center \|rowspan=3\| P	Jamie Graves	Freshman	Washington
align=center \| Danielle Henderson	Sophomore	Massachusetts
align=center \| Christa Williams	Freshman	UCLA
align=center \| C	Stacey Nuveman	Freshman	UCLA
align=center \| rowspan=2\| 1B	Leah O'Brien	Senior	Arizona
align=center \| Alleah Poulson	Senior	UCLA
align=center \|rowspan=2\| 2B	Nina Lindenberg	Junior	Fresno State
align=center \| Sara Pickering	Senior	Washington
align=center \| SS	Christy Hebert	Senior	Iowa
align=center \| 3B	Melissa Gentile	Freshman	Michigan
align=center \| OF	Alison Johnsen	Junior	Arizona
align=center \| MOP	Nancy Evans	Junior	Arizona

References

Category:1997 NCAA Division I softball season

NCAA Division I softball tournament

Category:NCAA Division I softball tournament

Category:Women's sports in Oklahoma

1997 NCAA Division I softball tournament

Qualifying

Regionals

=Regional No. 1 - held at Tucson, Arizona=

=Regional No. 2 - held at Columbia, South Carolina=

=Regional No. 3 - held at Iowa City, Iowa=

=Regional No. 4 - held at Fresno, California=

=Regional No. 5 - held at Lafayette, Louisiana=

=Regional No. 6 - held at Ann Arbor, Michigan=

=Regional No. 7 - held at Norman, Oklahoma=

=Regional No. 8 - held at Amherst, Massachusetts=

Women's College World Series

=Participants=

=Results=

==Bracket==

==Game results==

==Championship Game==

=All-Tournament Team=

See also

References