2013 NCAA Softball Championship | Women's College World Series | Oklahoma & Michigan Set For Thursday Night Showdown

The 2013 Women's College World Series kicks off Thursday from Oklahoma City and all eyes are on the country's No. 1 team, our Oklahoma Sooners.

Patty Gasso and company will face the No. 8 national seed Michigan Wolverines Thursday night with first pitch scheduled for 8:30 p.m. (CST). The game will be broadcast on ESPN2.

Oklahoma and Michigan are paired on one side of the bracket with the No. 5 seed Arizona State and the No. 4 seed Texas. If the seeds hold, the Sooners could be looking at a second round match-up with their hated rivals from down south. Texas and Arizona State play in the game immediately prior to OU on Thursday (6:00 p.m.) if you're interested in scouting out a possible future opponent (assuming Oklahoma can win of course).

For those who might not be aware, this is a double elimination format so even if Oklahoma were to lose Thursday night their season would not be over. They would advance to the loser's bracket and face the loser of the UT/ASU game which would then be an elimination game. Of course we hope it never comes to that point.

Finally, before we let you go we feel compelled to share this with you. There have been and continue to be so many ridiculous stats associated with what this team and the players on it have accomplished this year. Well, we came across another one and it's just as ridiculous as all the others.

This Oklahoma team has four of the NCAA's 33 active career home run leaders and two of those four are sophomores. SOPHOMORES! The fact that one team would even have four of the top 33 is ridiculous to begin with. The fact that two of those four are only in their second year is incomprehensible.

As we've said countless times already this season, this team is special. And hopefully Thursday night is just the next step towards their ultimate goal of a national championship.