Oklahoma softball has become the defining powerhouse of the sport, a true modern dynasty. With seven Women's College World Series titles in the last 13 seasons—including four of the past five—the Sooners are a juggernaut that strikes both awe and fear into opponents.

This week, the journey back to Oklahoma City for another shot at the WCWS crown begins. Coach Patty Gasso's squad enters the 2026 NCAA Tournament as the No. 3 overall seed, and their first challenge comes in the Norman Regional on Friday, May 15. Standing across the diamond will be Binghamton, a team making its second consecutive tournament appearance after clinching the America East Conference title.

So, who exactly are the Bearcats? Let's break it down.

Binghamton University—formally the State University of New York at Binghamton—calls Binghamton, New York, home. This city of about 50,000 residents sits in New York's Southern Tier, just north of the Pennsylvania border. It's roughly 175 miles northwest of New York City and about 190 miles southeast of Buffalo.

The school boasts some notable alumni, including longtime "Pardon the Interruption" co-host Tony Kornheiser, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, "The View" co-host Sunny Hostin, singer-songwriter Ingrid Michaelson, and actress Stephanie Courtney—better known as Flo from the Progressive commercials.

Binghamton's athletic teams are called the Bearcats, a nickname adopted in May 1999 when the school moved to Division I. Their mascot is Baxter the Bearcat, a spirited symbol of the university's competitive rise. But the team wasn't always the Bearcats. Before the rebrand, they were known as the Colonials. And back in the 1950s, when the school was still called Harpur College, they had a live mascot—a Mexican burro named Harpo. Unfortunately, Harpo's tenure was short-lived: he was removed by the university president after developing a habit of kicking and biting students.

Now, the Bearcats come to Norman with nothing to lose and everything to gain. For Oklahoma, it's business as usual. For Binghamton, it's a chance to make history against the sport's most decorated program.