WCWS first-time champions: Texas, Texas Tech softball have chance at historic win
Texas softball finds itself on the verge of history.
After a 2-1 win in Game 1 of the 2025 Women's College World Series championship series on June 4, the No. 6-seeded Longhorns are 21 outs away from hoisting the national championship trophy at Devon Park in Oklahoma City,
Texas Tech, however, can prolong that celebration from happening by forcing a winner-take-all Game 3 — which could result in Gerry Glasco's squad hoisting the trophy themselves.
Regardless of who wins the national title and when it takes place, history will be made in college softball this season: Neither Texas nor Texas Tech have ever won the WCWS before. Here's what you need to know about WCWS first-time champions:
Has Texas softball ever won the WCWS?
No. Despite appearing in two of the prior three WCWS championship series, Texas has not won the WCWS before. The Longhorns lost each of their previous two WCWS championship series to Oklahoma in 2022 and 2024, both sweeps.
"Obviously we have 16 players that are back from last year and a few from the previous time before that. We're hoping we can use that experience. We talk about the fact that, if you had an opportunity to tell yourself what it would mean to be in that position right now, what would you say? They have that opportunity right now," Texas coach Mike White said June 3 during media availability.
"I think it's just to be together, work really hard, and play the best softball we can. The game's not going to know we've been here before. It's going to roll with the team that plays the best, takes the most of the opportunities, and that's what we have to do."
Has Texas Tech softball ever won the WCWS?
No, Texas Tech has not won the WCWS before. Before this year's WCWS, Texas Tech had not even made the trip to Oklahoma City to compete for the national championship.
"I still don't think the moment has fully set in for me yet, just to be able to, again, say that we're two games away (from winning a national championship)," NiJaree Canady said during a media availability on June 3. "I feel like it's just amazing. ... It honestly still hasn't set in for me yet."
Should the Red Raiders win, they would be the first team since Oklahoma in 2000 to win the Women's College World Series championship in their WCWS debut.
When was the last first-time WCWS champion crowned?
The last time a first-time national champion was crowned at the WCWS was 2018, when Florida State defeated Washington.
To win the national championship that season, the Seminoles, who were the No. 6 seed, had to play themselves out of the "elimination bracket" after losing their initial "winner's bracket" game 7-4 to No. 3 seed UCLA.
To make it to the WCWS championship series, Florida State defeated No. 7 Georgia 7-2 in its first "elimination bracket" game before knocking off No. 1 overall seed Oregon to make an appearance in the WCWS semifinals. There, Florida State, which was led by Meghan King in the circle, defeated UCLA twice to make its first trip to the championship series.
The Seminoles swept the Huskies with scores of 1-0 and 8-3 to win the first WCWS title in program history and for the ACC. It also marked the first time in WCWS history that a team won the WCWS after losing its first game in Oklahoma City, per the NCAA.
First-time WCWS winners
Here's a full list of first-time WCWS champions, dating back to the first title under the governance of the NCAA, beginning in 1982:
- 2018: Florida State defeats Washington
- 2014: Florida defeats Alabama
- 2012: Alabama defeats Oklahoma
- 2009: Washington defeats Florida
- 2008: Arizona State defeats Texas A&M
- 2005: Michigan defeats UCLA
- 2002: Cal defeats Arizona
- 2000: Oklahoma defeats UCLA
- 1998: Fresno State defeats Arizona
- 1991: Arizona defeats UCLA
- 1986: Cal State Fullerton defeats Texas A&M
- 1983: Texas A&M defeats Cal State Fullerton
- 1982: UCLA defeats Fresno State
WCWS champion history
Here's a year-by-year history of past WCWS winners, dating back to 2015. During that time, only one team, Florida State in 2018, was a first-time winner.
- 2024: Oklahoma defeats Texas
- 2023: Oklahoma defeats Florida State
- 2022: Oklahoma defeats Texas
- 2021: Oklahoma defeats Florida State
- 2020: Canceled due to COVID-19
- 2019: UCLA defeats Oklahoma
- 2018: Florida State defeats Washington
- 2017: Oklahoma defeats Florida
- 2016: Oklahoma defeats Auburn
- 2015: Florida defeats Michigan