Austin, TX

NCAA Softball Championships 2024 Bracket: Schedule, Matchups and More

Published

2 years ago

May 12, 2024

NCAA Softball Championships 2024 Bracket: Schedule, Matchups and More

David Buono/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

The three-time reigning NCAA softball champion Oklahoma Sooners are the No. 2 seed in the 2024 NCAA softball tournament.

The Sooners are only behind the Texas Longhorns on the national seed line for the tournament that begins with the regional round this weekend.

Texas and Oklahoma were two of five teams to finish inside the top five of the NCAA softball rankings with a single-digit loss total. Oklahoma State, Tennessee and Duke were the others.

Duke’s spot outside the top eight national seeds was the biggest surprise of Sunday’s bracket reveal. The Blue Devils won the ACC tournament and are ranked in the top five, but they were left out of the top eight and with the No. 10 national seed.

NCAA Softball Tournament Bracket

NCAA Softball @NCAASoftball
The bracket is set! 🥎<br><br>👉 <a href=”https://t.co/lFjn81afj4″>https://t.co/lFjn81afj4</a><a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/RoadToWCWS?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>#RoadToWCWS</a> <a href=”https://t.co/PcVMxDcxkB”>pic.twitter.com/PcVMxDcxkB</a>

Oklahoma comes into the tournament as the three-time reigning champion, but Texas is the top seed on the road to Oklahoma City.

The Sooners and Longhorns had near identical records this season. Oklahoma went 46-6 and Texas produced a 45-6 mark.

Texas and Oklahoma will be expected to cruise through their regional rounds of play. A sweep in the super regional round is likely as well. Oklahoma could face Florida State in a rematch of last year’s WCWS championship series in the super regional round. The Seminoles are the No. 15 national seed.

The regional round will be played at 16 different sites with four teams at each venue. One winner will emerge from the 16 regional brackets to reach the super regional round.

The super regional round pits the 16 regional winners against each other in best-of-three series. The eight super regional winners move on to the Women’s College World Series.

Oklahoma State and Tennessee should be considered in the same class as Oklahoma and Texas in terms of favorites to reach Oklahoma City.

Duke would be in that category, but it faces a tougher path to Oklahoma City if it has to play on the road in the super regional round.

Stanford, the No. 8 national seed, will be in the title conversation mix as well as long as Nijaree Canady continues her incredible season in the circle. Canady is one of two pitchers with an ERA under one.

Miami (Ohio) is the underdog team to watch in the regional round. The RedHawks have the third-best team batting average and could pose a challenge to the teams in the Knoxville regional. Tennessee will still be favored to advance, but Miami (Ohio) could at least make things dangerous.

Texas and Oklahoma are the only teams with better collective batting averages than Miami (Ohio).

The Longhorns and Sooners also rank inside the top 10 in team ERA.

The strong bats and pitching of both Texas and Oklahoma will make them tough to beat, and if everything goes well, they could set up a dream championship series in a few weeks.

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Austin, TX

Texas Plans Second Execution of the Year

Published

11 hours ago

March 5, 2026

Press Room

Texas Plans Second Execution of the Year

Cedric Ricks spoke in his own defense at his 2013 murder trial, something most defendants accused of a terrible crime do not do. Ricks confessed that he had killed his girlfriend, Roxann Sanchez, and her 8-year-old son. He admitted he was aggressive and had trouble controlling his anger, stating that he was “sorry about everything.” […]

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Austin, TX

Will the rest of Austin allergies seasons be as bad as cedar this year?

Published

23 hours ago

March 4, 2026

Press Room

Will the rest of Austin allergies seasons be as bad as cedar this year?

Austin had a particularly itchy and drippy cedar fever season to start the year. Many winter days, from late December into February, had high or very high ashe juniper (aka cedar) pollen counts.

Central Texas has a year-round allergy season with mold popping up at any time. For the more traditional spring and fall allergy seasons, forecasters at AccuWeather are predicting some of the allergens across the country will be worse this year than average.

Texas, though, is a different story.

For grass allergies, which happen now through September, AccuWeather estimates Austin will have an average season. However, just west of the Interstate 35 corridor in the Hill Country to almost El Paso, that season is expected to be worse than normal.

“Texas may experience above-average grass pollen for a few weeks,” AccuWeather’s allergy report said, “though the season could be shorter-lived compared to northern areas.”

It all depends on the weather

How much rain we get in the next six months and the perennial Texas heat will all affect the growing season for grasses and weeds, as well as the amount of pollen trees produce. The Farmers’ Almanac and the Old Farmers Almanac are both predicting a wetter and warmer spring.

Rain helps plants grow, which can increase pollen production over time. However, rainfall during allergy season can also bring temporary relief by washing pollen out of the air. That’s what we’re expecting this weekend, with our first meaningful rain chance in nearly three weeks. Tree and weed pollen levels might briefly drop, but mold could spike because it thrives in damp, humid weather.

If spring continues with excessive heat like we saw in February, it could limit the growth of some plants and trees. Extreme heat can reduce how much they grow, and how much pollen they produce. On the other hand, if we get a healthy balance of rain and only slightly above-normal temperatures — not extreme heat — pollen counts could climb. That’s especially true as we head into April, typically our windiest month of the year, which helps spread pollen more easily.

How can you treat allergies in Austin?

If you are feeling the effects of allergies, here are some things you can do to lessen them:

Start taking allergy medication at least two weeks before your allergen’s season is supposed to start. Keep taking your allergy medication throughout your allergen’s season, even on low-pollen days.
Vary your allergy medication. You can take a nasal spray, an eye drop and an oral antihistamine at the same time to treat the different symptoms. If one kind of allergy medication isn’t working, consult your doctor about whether you should add a second one or switch out the medication.
Take a shower before going to bed.
Take off outside clothes or shoes when you get into the house.
Do a daily nasal wash such as a neti pot or saline spray.
Consider seeing an allergist to get drops or shots to lessen your reaction to the allergen.

Consider these household tips to improve your chances of keeping allergens away:

Change the filters in your house regularly during cedar fever season.
Vacuum and sweep regularly.
Change your sheets, especially your pillow regularly.
Keep doors and windows closed.
Clean out the vents in your home.
Have your home tested for indoor allergens such as mold.
Wash and brush the animals in your house to lessen the amount of allergens in the air.
Wear a mask outside or inside while you are trying to lessen the pollen or mold indoors.

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Austin, TX

Texas Primary: Breakdown of Texas races

Published

1 day ago

March 4, 2026

Press Room

Democrats tried to stop a mid-decade redistricting effort, but were unsuccessful. Now, we are starting to see some of the candidates emerging in those newly drawn districts. FOX 7 Austin’s Rudy Koski gives a full breakdown.

Posted March 3, 2026 10:32pm CST

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