EUGENE -- As Oregon boarded its bus to the airport Tuesday for the first of its legs to the Women's College World Series, the Ducks cracked jokes, hugged and celebrated the program's second WCWS trip in three seasons.



The fun belies the serious expectations top-seeded Oregon carries on this "business trip" to Oklahoma City.



"We feel if we play softball the way we can we can compete with anybody and that's the goal for us," fifth-year head coach Mike White said. "Play our game, dictate the terms and we've been here before so hopefully we won't be starstruck."



With its third WCWS appearance Oregon (54-7-1) is still a relative newcomer to this level of NCAA softball. Eighth-seeded Florida State, Oregon's opponent Thursday at 11:30 a.m., is making its eighth trip, albeit its first in a decade (the teams are 4-4 all-time but haven't played since the 2004 NCAA regionals). Yet for all of Oregon's relative newcomer status, it handled the pressure from the program's first No. 1 ranking with aplomb by holding onto the top spot the final six weeks of the regular season and sweeping the NCAA's regional and super regional rounds on consecutive weekends.

The poised responses to its first No. 1 ranking and top NCAA seed have White believing that his team won't buy into the inherent pressure and that NCAA title expectations are within reach.



"It's something they've dreamed about as little girls but we've just got to take it as it is," White said. "We've been ranked No. 1 for six weeks and I don't think they blew that out of proportion. Hopefully we can take it in stride and just go down and play our game.



"Again it's not to make it bigger than what it is. We always go back to the fact that it's 60 feet, turn left. It's 43 feet from the mound to the home plate and a 12-inch ball, so we just try to keep it as normal as possible."



The game for all eight eight teams will be as much mental as physical at the World Series, which runs May 29-June 4 at ASA Hall of Fame Stadium.



First, there's the weather. Temperatures aren't expected to dip below the mid-80s and are forecasted to rise into the mid-90s in the final days of the tournament. Humidity is ever-present, as is the chance of thunderstorms and tornadoes.



Oregon left-handed starter Cheridan Hawkins (33-4) experienced those conditions before while playing on a national team but never coupled with the pressure of a World Series. During Oregon's 2012 trip to Oklahoma City, Hawkins was a high school senior. Six players off that team remain.



"I haven't seen what it's like in a College World Series atmosphere but just having felt that kind of heat and environment before will help," Hawkins said.



The atmosphere at the site begins with a welcome banquet Tuesday evening where the USA Softball College Player of the Year award will be given to either UCLA's Ally Carda, Michigan's Sierra Romero or Florida State pitcher Lacey Waldrop. It's those types of distractions that can make the World Series feel far from the kind of "normal" game White and the Ducks have attempted to prepare for.



How well Oregon succeeds at convincing itself that Thursday's opener is just another game will be especially crucial for Hawkins. She admitted to feeling nerves during her first NCAA super regional start last weekend against Minnesota, and in each game of the series it took a visit to the circle from White to relax the sophomore star with the 1.55 earned run average.



Hawkins said her key will be finding the right blend of staying loose, correct preparation and focused execution. And like the rest of her Duck teammates, she said she'll draw on UO's handling of its No. 1 ranking for inspiration as Oregon attempts to make even more history.



"I think it's prepared us to be in a high-pressure environment," Hawkins said. "That No. 1 title can be a lot for people and some people could brush it off, and I think we did a good job of just acknowledging that and being happy that we're No. 1 and celebrating the history created in all that. I think it will help us realizing that we've experienced pressure like that."



-- Andrew Greif | @andrewgreif