Tennessee will face Florida in Game 1 of the 2015 Women's College World Series on Thursday at 11 a.m. CT/Noon ET on ESPN, as announced by the NCAA on Sunday.
Tennessee, Florida, LSU, Auburn, Michigan, Alabama, UCLA and Oregon will head to Oklahoma City to compete on softball's grandest stage - the Women's College World Series at newly-renovated ASA Hall of Fame Stadium-OGE Energy Field.
Five SEC teams ties the record for most teams from one conference to make a WCWS. In 1999, five Pac-10 teams made it (UCLA, Washington, California, Arizona, Arizona State).
The Women's College World Series consists of two four-team double-elimination brackets with play in those brackets running from May 28-31. The winners of each bracket then complete in a best-of-three championship series from June 1-3. The ESPN family of networks will carry every game of the 2015 WCWS. WNML 99.1 FM/990 AM and UTSports.com will also feature live audio broadcasts of each game.
Tennessee (47-15) is making its seventh appearance (2005, 2006, 2007, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2015) in the Women's College World Series. Defending National Champion Florida (55-6) is also making its seventh trip (2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2015) to the WCWS.
Tennessee is 25-43 all-time against the Gators, but UT has won the last five meetings between the teams. UT defeated Florida, 9-2, in the first game of the 2013 Women's College World Series, starting a run that produced a national runner-up finish. The Lady Vols swept the Gators in three games in Knoxville in 2014. In their last five contests, Tennessee has outscored Florida by a combined score of 32-13.
The Lady Vols faced Florida just once this season, defeating the Gators, 2-1, in the SEC Tournament semifinals in Baton Rouge, La., on May 8. Erin Gabriel recorded 10 strikeouts and limited UF to just one run over six frames. Scarlet McSwain and Tory Lewis hit RBI singles in the fourth inning to give Tennessee a lead it never surrendered.
Single-session tickets are available online at www.ncaa.com/tickets/softball/d1 with prices ranging from $20 to $40 per game. All-session tickets for seats in the outfield are available for $100.