WCWS Player Diary: Opening Day, June 3rd
FeaturedOKLAHOMA CITY – Whether it’s their first time participating in the Women’s College World Series or a return trip to the sport’s biggest stage, players never take any moment for granted.
Being able to experience the event through their eyes is what I was hoping to achieve in asking teams to have players write daily diary entries during the championship run.
From the hotel to the dugout to the media appearances, players will be providing behind-the-scenes access to all the action.
Aaliyah Jordan, UCLA
“It’s always exciting being back at Hall of Fame Stadium. It brought back a lot of good memories from the year we won. I thought of all the things we did in the locker room before the games, all the plays we made on the field, and of course the celebration of winning the Natty! I think the stadium looks amazing. The field already felt so big the last time we were here, but it’s even bigger now. It truly shows how much our sport is growing. I am most excited to just get out there and play again. It’s been over two years since we last played in OKC and I never want to take for granted the times I get to play here because it is truly a special place and I know what it feels like to get it taken away from me.”
Caylan Arnold, Florida State
“On Tuesday, we flew into OKC on the biggest charter plane I’ve ever seen! We had all the staff, players, coaches, boosters and staff families on the plane and we were still able to have entire rows to ourselves. We had a little bit of turbulence, but I didn’t care because I was able to stretch my legs out across my row and sleep the whole way.
“Wednesday morning, we woke up and went on our usual team coffee run to Starbucks. They should honestly sponsor us with the amount of coffee this team drinks. We waited outside for the staff and then walked to the Sheraton hotel for Covid testing.
“Afterwards, we went back to the hotel and waited for lunch (it was running very late) so I took that time to start getting ready for our NCAA photo shoot at the stadium. After lunch, I finished getting ready, and we were all really excited because they wanted us in our gold uniforms (our golds are awesome and we love wearing them).
“After the photo shoot, we had practice on the main field and it was honestly one of the most humbling experiences. I’ve never been to the World Series, and I think that it finally hit me that I’m here. I cannot wait to play on that field Thursday night in front of thousands of softball fans. I’m so blessed to be here, and I hope that I really stay grounded and present in these upcoming moments. I know this is going to be an experience that I’ll cherish forever.”
Lacey Fincher, Georgia
“Ten-year-old Lacey Fincher is overwhelmed with happiness. Walking on the field yesterday for practice my lifelong dream became reality. I am looking forward to hitting the field today with my teammates and embracing the moment. GO DAWGS!”
Allie Skaggs, Arizona
“After winning the Fayetteville Super Regional, our team spent a few more nights in Arkansas before heading to Oklahoma City. Tuesday night, we made the four-hour drive on our team bus and were welcomed at our hotel with Arizona banners and plenty of Women’s College World Series memorabilia. We were given the chance to explore downtown OKC, which can be described as “Bricktown”, and many of us grabbed dinner and of course some ice cream for dessert!
On Wednesday, all teams were Covid tested in the morning, and then we each had a designated time slot for practice at Hall of Fame Stadium. But before practice, we were able to do photo shoots and an ESPN highlight as a team. It was incredible to get out on that field, especially as a freshman who is new to this experience! We finished off the night with a team dinner at our hotel, and got rested up for our game on Thursday!”