The 1972 Women's College World Series (WCWS) was contested among 16 college softball teams on May 18–21 in Omaha, Nebraska. This fourth WCWS was notable for the only appearance of a team from outside the United States, as the team from Tokyo–Nihon University of Japan proved to be a hit with both spectators and the other teams in the tournament.
Three-time defending champion John F. Kennedy College was excluded from the tournament by an organizational rule change the previous month. The new rule prohibited a team from appearing in the WCWS if it gave scholarships to any women athletes, not just softball players (JFK College openly awarded women's basketball scholarships). JFK never returned to the WCWS, and the school closed just three years later.
The Arizona State Sun Devilettes defeated Tokyo–Nihon narrowly in the winners' bracket semi-final, 2–1, and split the tournament final, 0–1 and 8–5, with the if-necessary game requiring 11 innings.
Teams The double elimination tournament included these teams: TeamAppearanceArizona State2ndCentral Missouri State2ndIllinois State4thKansas State Teachers College (now Emporia State)2ndKeene State College (NH)3rdLuther College (IA)3rdMinot State3rdNebraska–Omaha4thNorthern Colorado4thPurdue1stSouth Carolina1stSouth Dakota State2ndSouthwest Missouri State4thTokyo–Nihon University (Japan)1stWayne State (NE)2ndWestern Illinois2nd
Bracket
Source:
Ranking Place School WCWS Record 1st Arizona State5-1 2nd Tokyo–Nihon5-2 3rd Western Illinois5-2 4th Illinois State4-2 5th Northern Colorado2-2 6th South Dakota State2-27th Wayne State College2-2 Central Missouri State College2-29th Keene State College1-2 Nebraska–Omaha1-2 Luther College1-2 Southwest Missouri State1-213th South Carolina0-2 Minot State College0-2 Kansas State Teachers College0-2 Purdue0-2
See also
References