OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) -- Texas is in prime position to successfully defend its national softball championship The Longhorns will need to navigate perhaps the most balanced and unpredictable field in NCAA Championships history to do it.
Texas, which takes the No. 2 overall seed into regional play, will open against Wagner on Friday in the Austin Regional.
The Longhorns (42-10) still have Teagan Kavan, the Most Outstanding Player of last year's Women's College World Series, leading the way from the circle. She has a 21-4 record with a 2.65 earned run average and got the win against Alabama in the Southeastern Conference title game. The prolific offense features Katie Stewart, who is batting .434 with 25 home runs.
Even with that star power, plenty of other contenders are lined up and ready to go.
Alabama (49-7), with star pitcher Jocelyn Briski, is the No. 1 overall seed and looks to add to its 2012 national title. No. 3 seed Oklahoma (48-8), the SEC regular-season champion, has won four of the last five national titles under coach Patty Gasso.
But none of those teams have the No. 1 ranking in the latest ESPN.com/USA Softball poll. That honor goes to Nebraska, the No. 4 overall...
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