Ellington

WASHINGTON (50-7)

It’s pretty simple for the Huskies: If Danielle Lawrie pitches like she has all season, they’re the runaway favorite to win another national championship. And this is where Washington’s offense really came alive in 2009’s postseason run, when Jenn Salling and Niki Williams started knocking the ball all over the yard and the Huskies put up runs at a record pace. Plus, UW is in the weaker half of the bracket, facing a familiar Georgia team in the first round, then playing the winner (assuming the Huskies win) of a game between No. 15 Tennessee and No. 10 Arizona. And the Huskies are 7-1 this year against WCWS teams, the only loss coming in their Pac-10 opener against UCLA.

FLORIDA (48-8)

There wasn’t much of a drop-off for the Gators this year after All-American ace Stacie Nelson graduated. Stephanie Brombacher has stepped quite nicely into the void Nelson left, leading Florida with a 34-6 record and 1.89 ERA. The Gators hit the ball so well, though, all she has to do is be mildly effective. Florida has four players with 15 or more homers, led by the 20 of Francesca Enea. Seven of the nine players in their regular starting lineup are batting over .300. That kind of production can make the difference in Oklahoma City.

UCLA (45-11)

The Bruins have the best player in the tournament not named Danielle Lawrie. That would be Megan Langenfeld, who was one of three finalists for National Player of the Year. She’s hitting .500 with 16 homers and 49 RBI this year, also going 11-1 in the circle with a 1.25 ERA. Even better for the Bruins, sophomore pitcher Aleah Macon — recognize that name, Husky fans? — is 11-1 with a 0.86 ERA, and both hurlers have been slicing through the postseason with relative ease. UCLA hasn’t really been tested so far, winning five postseason games by a total of 30 runs. If they can keep hitting the way they have been all season and keep getting the same results in the circle from Langenfeld and Macon, this is a dangerous team. And they’re the only squad in the tournament to beat the UW this season.

GEORGIA (48-11)

Experience and consistency are the biggest factors for the Bulldogs, who were one game away from advancing to the championship series in last year’s World Series. Plus, they know how to hit against Lawrie: Last year’s Georgia team, remember, scored nine runs off her in the only game Washington lost in last season’s WCWS. Taylor Schlopy is the most annoying player on the Georgia roster, batting .440 this year with 11 homers and 30 steals. And she’s always smiling, which is kind of creepy. Anyway, she leads a lineup that features nine players with 29 or more RBI, meaning anyone on this team is capable of hurting you. That’s a good weapon to have against top-notch pitching.

MISSOURI (51-11)

I don’t think they can do much damage in OKC, but the Tigers did beat Oregon twice last weekend. That’s something Georgia Tech couldn’t do. And Missouri also has the experience factor, making its second consecutive trip to Oklahoma City. But for Washington fans looking for a comparison between common opponents, the Tigers lost 9-0 to Oklahoma in the Big 12 Tournament a couple of weeks ago. Take that for what it’s worth.

ARIZONA (48-11)

Offense, offense, offense. But the Wildcats won’t have a chance in hell without a great performance from freshman pitcher Kenzie Fowler, who has the potential to cement herself as one of the greatest ever to wear an Arizona uniform … later in her career, that is. Still, she’s bounced back nicely from an arm ailment that had some worried if she’d even be available this postseason. And Sarah Akamine has been solid, too. How far Arizona goes in the WCWS depends entirely on how much Fowler can carry the load against veteran lineups with the kind of experience she still lacks.

TENNESSEE (47-13)

What the Volunteers did to Michigan was impressive, but this is another Cinderella team whose magic figures to run out in Oklahoma City. Vols have no power — nobody in their lineup has more than eight home runs — and not a lot of pitching. Their two pitchers, Ivy Renfroe and Cat Hosfield, both have ERAs over 2.00 (Hosfield’s is over 3.00). You’d be hard pressed to find a national champion from the past that relied on pitchers with numbers like that.

HAWAII (49-14)

The Rainbow Wahine might be the one team in the country that has a chance to compete for a national title without top-notch pitching. Because Hawaii’s lineup puts the old-school Bronx Bombers to shame. They’ve hit a record 154 home runs this season, and only one player in their lineup hasn’t hit 11 or more. Five players have hit 17 or more, led by the 30 bombs and 60 RBI of Kelly Majam. Softball purists will scoff at power numbers, but hey — they did beat Alabama. Maybe there’s something to it.

Reach Sports Editor Christian Caple at sports@dailyuw.com.