The 1980 Women's College World Series (WCWS) was held in Norman, Oklahoma on May 22–25, the first time it was played at a location other than Omaha, Nebraska, where it had been held for its first 11 years. Sixteen fastpitch softball teams emerged from regional tournaments to meet in the AIAW national collegiate softball championship.[1]
Teams
The 1980 season was the first time that AIAW softball competition was split into three divisions (I, II and III) with each conducting its own championship tournament. The Division I double-elimination tournament included these teams:
Cal Poly–Pomona
Cal State–Fullerton
California
Creighton
Indiana
Massachusetts
New Mexico
Oklahoma
Oklahoma State
Oregon
South Carolina
Southwest Missouri State
Texas A&M
Utah State
Western Illinois
Western Michigan
The Utah State Aggies, behind the pitching of Mary Lou Ramm, won its first national championship, emerging from the losers' bracket to defeat Indiana with 1–0 and 2–1 wins in the final. Ramm was named the Most Outstanding Player of the tournament.[1] Utah State's only loss had been to Indiana in the fourth round, forcing the Aggies to defeat top-seeded Texas A&M in order to again face the Hoosiers in the final.
^ abPlummer III, William; Floyd, Larry C. (2013). A Series Of Their Own: History Of The Women's College World Series. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States: Turnkey Communications Inc. ISBN978-0-9893007-0-4.