# 1971 Women's College World Series

The 1971 ASA/DGWS Women's College World Series (WCWS), the third in its history, was held in Omaha, Nebraska. On May 14–16, softball teams from 28 colleges met in that year's national fastpitch softball tournament, still the largest number of teams to play in a single-site WCWS. The tournament consisted of 55 games.
The John F. Kennedy College Patriettes won their third consecutive national championship, this time from the loser's bracket, by shutting out the Iowa State Cyclonettes twice in the final, 6–0 and 4–0. Paula Miller of Arizona State was named the tournament's Most Valuable Player, pitching all of ASU's seven games. Iowa State's result occurred despite having zero funding from the university.

## Teams

The double-elimination tournament included these teams:
| Team | Appearance |
| Arizona State | 1st |
| Buena Vista College (IA) | 1st |
| Central Missouri State | 1st |
| Concordia (NE) | 2nd |
| Eastern Illinois | 1st |
| Illinois State | 3rd |
| Iowa State | 1st |
| John F. Kennedy | 3rd |
| Kansas State Teachers College (now Emporia State) | 1st |
| Kearney State | 3rd |
| Luther College (IA) | 2nd |
| Midland Lutheran (NE) | 2nd |
| Minnesota–Duluth | 2nd |
| Minot State | 2nd |
| Nebraska | 2nd |
| Nebraska–Omaha | 3rd |
| Northern Colorado | 3rd |
| Parsons College (IA) | 1st |
| Simpson College (IA) | 1st |
| South Dakota | 1st |
| South Dakota State | 1st |
| Southern Illinois | 2nd |
| Southwest Baptist (MO) | 1st |
| Southwest Missouri State | 3rd |
| Upper Iowa | 2nd |
| Wartburg College (IA) | 1st |
| Wayne State (NE) | 2nd |
| Wisconsin State–Eau Claire | 1st |

## Bracket

The individual game results are shown in the tournament bracket below.
| Upper round 1 | Upper round 1 | Upper round 1 | Upper round 2 | Upper round 2 | Upper round 2 | Upper round 3 | Upper round 3 | Upper round 3 | Upper round 4 | Upper round 4 | Upper round 4 | Upper final | Upper final | Upper final | | | | | | | | | | | | Final | Final | Final | Final |
| | | | John F. Kennedy | John F. Kennedy | 16 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| South Dakota State | South Dakota State | 6 | South Dakota State | South Dakota State | 0 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Central Missouri | Central Missouri | 5 | | | | John F. Kennedy | John F. Kennedy | 7$^{(8)}$ | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Arizona State | Arizona State | 14 | | | | Arizona State | Arizona State | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Luther College | Luther College | 0 | Arizona State | Arizona State | 11 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Nebraska | Nebraska | 12 | Nebraska | Nebraska | 0 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Midland Lutheran | Midland Lutheran | 2 | | | | | | | John F. Kennedy | John F. Kennedy | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Iowa State | Iowa State | 12 | | | | | | | Iowa State | Iowa State | 7 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Southwest Baptist | Southwest Baptist | 2 | Iowa State | Iowa State | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Northern Colorado | Northern Colorado | 6 | Northern Colorado | Northern Colorado | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Wisconsin St.–Eau Claire | Wisconsin St.–Eau Claire | 0 | | | | Iowa State | Iowa State | 8 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Illinois State | Illinois State | W | | | | Illinois State | Illinois State | 1 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Simpson College | Simpson College | L | Illinois State | Illinois State | 9 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | Minnesota–Duluth | Minnesota–Duluth | 4 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | Iowa State | Iowa State | 12 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | Southwest Missouri | Southwest Missouri | 9 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | Southwest Missouri | Southwest Missouri | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Wartburg College | Wartburg College | 6 | Wartburg College | Wartburg College | 0 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Minot State | Minot State | 2 | | | | Southwest Missouri | Southwest Missouri | 14 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Parsons College | Parsons College | 11 | | | | Parsons College | Parsons College | 11 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Wayne State | Wayne State | 1 | Parsons College | Parsons College | 7 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Eastern Illinois | Eastern Illinois | 6 | Eastern Illinois | Eastern Illinois | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Buena Vista College | Buena Vista College | 1 | | | | | | | Southwest Missouri | Southwest Missouri | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| South Dakota | South Dakota | 3 | | | | | | | KS State Teach. Coll. | KS State Teach. Coll. | 0 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Upper Iowa | Upper Iowa | 5 | Upper Iowa | Upper Iowa | 5 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Kearney State | Kearney State | 8 | Southern Illinois | Southern Illinois | 8 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Southern Illinois | Southern Illinois | 18 | | | | Southern Illinois | Southern Illinois | 8 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Iowa State | Iowa State | 0 | 0 |
| Nebraska–Omaha | Nebraska–Omaha | 9 | | | | KS State Teach. Coll. | KS State Teach. Coll. | 18 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | John F. Kennedy | John F. Kennedy | 6 | 4 |
| Concordia | Concordia | 1 | Nebraska–Omaha | Nebraska–Omaha | 0 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | KS State Teach. Coll. | KS State Teach. Coll. | 12 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Lower round 1 | Lower round 1 | Lower round 1 | Lower round 2 | Lower round 2 | Lower round 2 | Lower round 3 | Lower round 3 | Lower round 3 | Lower round 4 | Lower round 4 | Lower round 4 | Lower round 5 | Lower round 5 | Lower round 5 | Lower round 6 | Lower round 6 | Lower round 6 | Lower round 7 | Lower round 7 | Lower final | Lower final | Lower final | | | | | | | |
| Luther College | Luther College | 9 | Luther College | Luther College | 11 | | | | Luther College | Luther College | 0 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Midland Lutheran | Midland Lutheran | 2 | Upper Iowa | Upper Iowa | 1 | Luther College | Luther College | 9 | Illinois State | Illinois State | 10 | | | | KS State Teach. Coll. | KS State Teach. Coll. | 0 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | Central Missouri | Central Missouri | 5 | Central Missouri | Central Missouri | 3 | | | | Illinois State | Illinois State | 0 | Arizona State | Arizona State | 1 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | Nebraska–Omaha | Nebraska–Omaha | 3 | | | | | | | Arizona State | Arizona State | 4 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Southwest Baptist | Southwest Baptist | 4 | Eastern Illinois | Eastern Illinois | 3 | | | | Eastern Illinois | Eastern Illinois | | 0 | | | | | | Southwest Missouri | Southwest Missouri | 0 | | | | | | | | | |
| Wisconsin St.–Eau Claire | Wisconsin St.–Eau Claire | 6 | Wisconsin St.–Eau Claire | Wisconsin St.–Eau Claire | 2 | Eastern Illinois | Eastern Illinois | 5 | Arizona State | Arizona State | 10 | | | | | | | Arizona State | Arizona State | 3 | | | John F. Kennedy | John F. Kennedy | 3 | | | | |
| | | | Simpson College | Simpson College | L | Wartburg College | Wartburg College | 2 | | | | | | | | | | John F. Kennedy | John F. Kennedy | 5 | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | Wartburg College | Wartburg College | W | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Wayne State | Wayne State | 10 | Wayne State | Wayne State | 6 | | | | Northern Colorado | Northern Colorado | 4 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Buena Vista College | Buena Vista College | 5 | Northern Colorado | Northern Colorado | 38 | Northern Colorado | Northern Colorado | 12 | Southern Illinois | Southern Illinois | 5 | | | | John F. Kennedy | John F. Kennedy | 16 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | Minot State | Minot State | 8 | Minot State | Minot State | 0 | | | | Southern Illinois | Southern Illinois | 11 | Nebraska | Nebraska | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | Minnesota–Duluth | Minnesota–Duluth | 2 | | | | | | | Nebraska | Nebraska | 12 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Kearney State | Kearney State | 12 | Kearney State | Kearney State | 10 | | | | Parsons College | Parsons College | | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| South Dakota | South Dakota | 2 | Nebraska | Nebraska | 11 | Nebraska | Nebraska | 9 | Nebraska | Nebraska | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | Concordia | Concordia | 9 | Concordia | Concordia | 1 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | South Dakota State | South Dakota State | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
* 1 2 no-hitter

## Ranking

| Place | School | WCWS Record |
| By finish: |||
| 1st | John F. Kennedy College | 7-1 |
| 2nd | Iowa State | 5-2 |
| 3rd | Southwest Missouri State College | 3-2 |
| 4th | Arizona State | 5-2 |
| 4th | Nebraska | 5-2 |
| 6th | Kansas State Teachers College | 2-2 |
| By record: |||
| | Southern Illinois | 3-2 |
| | Illinois State | 3-2 |
| | Eastern Illinois | 3-2 |
| | Northern Colorado | 3-2 |
| | Luther College | 3-2 |
| | Parsons College | 2-2 |
| | Wartburg College | 2-2 |
| | Central Missouri State College | 1-2 |
| | Minot State College | 1-2 |
| | Concordia Teachers College | 1-2 |
| | Wisconsin State–Eau Claire | 1-2 |
| | Kearney State College | 1-2 |
| | Upper Iowa | 1-2 |
| | Nebraska–Omaha | 1-2 |
| | South Dakota State | 1-2 |
| | Wayne State College | 1-2 |
| | Minnesota–Duluth | 0-2 |
| | South Dakota | 0-2 |
| | Midland Lutheran College | 0-2 |
| | Southwest Baptist College | 0-2 |
| | Buena Vista College | 0-2 |
| | Simpson College | 0-2 |