# 1972 Women's College World Series

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:
| Team | Appearance |
| Arizona State | 2nd |
| Central Missouri State | 2nd |
| Illinois State | 4th |
| Kansas State Teachers College (now Emporia State) | 2nd |
| Keene State College (NH) | 3rd |
| Luther College (IA) | 3rd |
| Minot State | 3rd |
| Nebraska–Omaha | 4th |
| Northern Colorado | 4th |
| Purdue | 1st |
| South Carolina | 1st |
| South Dakota State | 2nd |
| Southwest Missouri State | 4th |
| Tokyo–Nihon University (Japan) | 1st |
| Wayne State (NE) | 2nd |
| Western Illinois | 2nd |

## Bracket

| Upper round 1 | Upper round 1 | Upper round 2 | Upper round 2 | Upper round 3 | Upper round 3 | Upper final | Upper final | | | | | Final | Final | Final |
| Tokyo–Nihon | 4 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Central Missouri State College | 0 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Central Missouri State College | 0 | Tokyo–Nihon | 3 | | | | | | | | | |
| | | Illinois State | 2 | | | | | | | | | |
| Illinois State | 8 | Illinois State | 2 | | | | | | | | | |
| Kansas State Teachers College | 0 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Kansas State Teachers College | 0 | | | Tokyo–Nihon | 6 | | | | | | | |
| | | | | South Dakota State | 0 | | | | | | | |
| South Dakota State | 3 | | | South Dakota State | 0 | | | | | | | |
| Luther College | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Luther College | 2 | South Dakota State | 5 | | | | | | | | | |
| | | Keene State College | 0 | | | | | | | | | |
| Keene State College | 10 | Keene State College | 0 | | | | | | | | | |
| Purdue | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Purdue | 3 | | | | | Tokyo–Nihon | 1 | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | Arizona State | 2 | | | | | |
| Southwest Missouri State | 7 | | | | | Arizona State | 2 | | | | | |
| Nebraska–Omaha | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Nebraska–Omaha | 2 | Southwest Missouri State | 2 | | | | | | | | | |
| | | Northern Colorado | 4 | | | | | | | | | |
| Northern Colorado | 5 | Northern Colorado | 4 | | | | | | | | | |
| South Carolina | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| South Carolina | 2 | | | Northern Colorado | 1 | | | | | | | |
| | | | | Arizona State | 11 | | | | | | | |
| Arizona State | 11 | | | Arizona State | 11 | | | | | | | |
| Minot State College | 0 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Minot State College | 0 | Arizona State | 3 | | | | | | | | | Arizona State | 0 | 8$^{(11)}$ |
| | | Western Illinois | 0 | | | | | | | | | Tokyo–Nihon | 1 | 5 |
| Western Illinois | 12 | Western Illinois | 0 | | | | | | | | | Tokyo–Nihon | 1 | 5 |
| Wayne State College | 4 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Lower round 1 | Lower round 1 | Lower round 2 | Lower round 2 | Lower round 3 | Lower round 3 | Lower round 4 | Lower round 4 | Lower round 5 | Lower round 5 | Lower final | Lower final | | | |
| | | Central Missouri State College | 9 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | Central Missouri State College | 9 | | Western Illinois | 8 | | | | | | | | |
| Central Missouri State College | 8 | Southwest Missouri State | 3 | | Western Illinois | 8 | | | | | | | | |
| Central Missouri State College | 8 | Southwest Missouri State | 3 | Central Missouri State College | 4 | South Dakota State | 3 | | | | | | | |
| Kansas State Teachers College | 4 | | | Central Missouri State College | 4 | South Dakota State | 3 | | | | | | | |
| Kansas State Teachers College | 4 | | | Western Illinois | 9 | | | | | Western Illinois | 0 | | | |
| | | Luther College | 2 | Western Illinois | 9 | | | | | Western Illinois | 0 | | | |
| | | Luther College | 2 | | | | | Western Illinois | 2 | Tokyo–Nihon | 4 | | | |
| Luther College | 6 | Western Illinois | 7 | | | | | Western Illinois | 2 | Tokyo–Nihon | 4 | | | |
| Luther College | 6 | Western Illinois | 7 | | | | | Illinois State | 1 | | | | | |
| Purdue | 1 | | | | | | | Illinois State | 1 | | | | | |
| | | Nebraska–Omaha | 1 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | Nebraska–Omaha | 1 | | Illinois State | 11 | | | | | | | | |
| Nebraska–Omaha | 6 | Illinois State | 4 | | Illinois State | 11 | | | | | | | | |
| Nebraska–Omaha | 6 | Illinois State | 4 | Illinois State | 10 | Northern Colorado | 4 | | | | | | | |
| South Carolina | 0 | | | Illinois State | 10 | Northern Colorado | 4 | | | | | | | |
| South Carolina | 0 | | | Wayne State College | 0 | | | | | | | | | |
| | | Wayne State College | 15 | Wayne State College | 0 | | | | | | | | | |
| Minot State College | 6 | Keene State College | 0 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Wayne State College | 10 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Source:
* ↑ no-hitter by Illinois State pitcher, Margie Wright; lost

## Ranking

| Place | School | WCWS Record |
| 1st | Arizona State | 5-1 |
| 2nd | Tokyo–Nihon | 5-2 |
| 3rd | Western Illinois | 5-2 |
| 4th | Illinois State | 4-2 |
| 5th | Northern Colorado | 2-2 |
| 6th | South Dakota State | 2-2 |
| 7th | Wayne State College | 2-2 |
| 7th | Central Missouri State College | 2-2 |
| 9th | Keene State College | 1-2 |
| 9th | Nebraska–Omaha | 1-2 |
| 9th | Luther College | 1-2 |
| 9th | Southwest Missouri State | 1-2 |
| 13th | South Carolina | 0-2 |
| 13th | Minot State College | 0-2 |
| 13th | Kansas State Teachers College | 0-2 |
| 13th | Purdue | 0-2 |