"Oklahoma! "

On Sunday night, the members of the Harvard softball team gathered in front of the big screen television at the Crimson Sports Grille to discover where they would be headed for the NCAA Regionals, which begin on Thursday.

Harvard could have been headed to any one of eight Regional sites, hosted by the top teams throughout the country. With six players on the team from the metro Los Angeles area, the UCLA regional and the Fresno State regional were high on the team's wish list.

The regional hosted by No. 1 Washington led off the selection show. The Crimson managed to avoid a date with the top team in the country.

When the regional hosted by Arizona popped onto the screen, freshman Monica Montijo, a Tucson native, did what she could to make Harvard's name appear on the screen. Harvard again was passed by.

But when No. 3 Oklahoma (56-8) flashed onto the screen, none of the shouting or the negative vibes emanating from the team could prevent Harvard's name and record from appearing alongside the Sooners'.

"A lot of us were hoping to go to California, because a lot of us are from there," sophomore pitcher Suzanne Guy said. "But either way we're in the playoffs."

Oklahoma is a familiar opponent for all the juniors and seniors on the Crimson roster. The Sooners were singularly responsible for Harvard's elimination in its only regional appearance in 1998. The Crimson lost to the Sooners 8-0 in the Regional opener, and then fell 3-0 two days later.