With many college softball programs across the country either at, past or quickly approaching 20 games played, is it fair to begin making assumptions?

The path to a college softball national championship rarely is straightforward, as Oklahoma was reminded of this past week.

The No. 1 and No. 2 teams in college softball met at the final day of the 2023 Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic as Oklahoma Softball, the defending two-time NCAA champion, faced the top-ranked UCLA Bruins.

The third day of the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic begins Saturday from Cathedral City, California, as four top-10 ranked teams are in action.

No. 1 UCLA hung on to beat No. 18 Kentucky on Friday at the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic, but it wasn't easy.

UCLA Softball star senior pitcher Megan Faraimo threw the second no-hitter at the 2023 Mary Nutter Colligiate Classic on the first day of the event.

College softball's biggest non-conference event is here as the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic begins at 12:30 p.m. ET from Cathedral City, Calif. on Feb. 23.

The 2023 college softball season begins in February as teams from across the country will play their first slate of games before conference season begins. Many of those games will take place at preseason events such as the Mark Campbell Collegiate Invitational, the Puerto Vallarta College Challenge and 2023 Candrea Classic.

The most anticipated college softball event of the non-conference season begins on Thursday, Feb. 23 in Cathedral City, California as the Big League Dreams Complex hosts the 2023 Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic from Feb. 23-26.

It’s a long, grueling break between June and February, but when the return of college softball eventually arrives, it makes all the waiting well worth it.

Since reaching the summit in 2018 with their third national championship, the Oregon State Beavers have been searching for the recipe to get them, not only back on top, but back to the College World Series.

It’s one thing to have returning talent, but long-term success is impossible if you don’t find ways to replace it.

The 2023 NCAA softball schedule is in full swing as Division I teams from across the country begin their seasons on Feb. 9 with the goal of reaching Oklahoma City for the Women’s College World Series.

The place to watch the best college softball being played on the planet is the Women’s College World Series, but there’s no closer equivalent during the regular season than the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic.

When the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic schedule was revealed late last year, one matchup stood out from the rest.