1972 held at George W. Dill Softball Center in Omaha, Nebraska on May 18-21.
Champion – Arizona State Wildcats
Runner Up – Tokyo-Nihon
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.
In addition to the ouster of JFK, the tournament was limited to 16 teams an amount voted on by the coaches at the 1971 event. If the 16 team amount could not be filled by the state tournament winners, additional teams could be added by the DGWS director.
- MVP – N/A
- Leading Hitter – Jean Holzkamp, South Dakota (.500, 7-14)
- HR Champion – N/A
- Outstanding Manager – Valerie Lindbloom, Western Illinois
ALL TOURNAMENT TEAM
N/A
SCORES
- Tokyo-Nihon 4 Central Missouri State 0
- Illinois State 8 Kansas State 0
- South Dakota State 3 Luther College 2
- Keene State 10 Purdue 3
- Southwest Missouri State 7 Nebraska-Omaha 2
- Northern Colorado 5 South Carolina 2
- Arizona State 11 Minot State 0
- Western Illinois 12 Wayne State 4
- Central Missouri State 8 Kansas State 4 (Kansas State eliminated)
- Luther 6 Purdue 1 (Purdue eliminated)
- Nebraska-Omaha 6 South Carolina 0 (South Carolina eliminated)
- Wayne State 10 Minot State 6 (Minot State eliminated)
- Tokyo-Nihon 3 Illinois State 2
- South Dakota State 5 Keene State 0
- Northern Colorado 4 Southwest Missouri State 2
- Arizona State 3 Western Illinois 0
- Central Missouri State 9 Southwest Missouri State 3 (Southwest Missouri State eliminated)
- Western Illinois 7 Luther 2 (Luther eliminated)
- Illinois State 4 Nebraska-Omaha 1 (Nebraska-Omaha eliminated)
- Wayne State 15 Keene State 0 (Keene State eliminated)
- Tokyo-Nihon 6 South Dakota State 0
- Arizona State 11 Northern Colorado 1
- Western Illinois 9 Central Missouri State 4 (Central Missouri State eliminated)
- Illinois State 10 Wayne State 0 (Wayne State eliminated)
- Western Illinois 8 South Dakota State 3 (South Dakota State eliminated)
- Illinois State 11 Northern Colorado 4 (Northern Colorado eliminated)
- Arizona State 2 Tokyo-Nihon 1
- Western Illinois 2 Illinois State 1 (Illinois State eliminated)
- Tokyo-Nihon 4 Western Illinois 0 (Western Illinois eliminated)
- Tokyo-Nihon 1 Arizona State 0
- Arizona State 8 Tokyo-Nihon 5 (Tokyo-Nihon eliminated)
FINAL STANDINGS
1. Arizona State Sun Devils (5-1)
2. Tokyo–Nihon (5-2)
3. Western Illinois Leathernecks (5-2)
4. Illinois State Cardinals (4-2)
5t. Northern Colorado Bears (2-2)
5t. South Dakota State Jackrabbits (2-2)
7t. Wayne State College Wildcats (2-2)
7t. Central Missouri State College Jennies (2-2)
9t. Keene State College Owls (1-2)
9t. Nebraska–Omaha Mavericks (1-2)
9t. Luther College Norse (1-2)
9t. Southwest Missouri State Bears (1-2)
13t. South Carolina Gamecocks (0-2)
13t. Minot State College Beavers (0-2)
13t. Kansas State Teachers College Wildcats (0-2)
13t. Purdue Boilermakers (0-2)
