Crowds continue to pack ASA Hall of Fame Stadium in Oklahoma City for the 2009 NCAA Women’s World Series.

An all-time attendance record of 8,323 was set Friday, and that was broken Saturday when 8,475 fans attended the evening session.

“We’re really excited about the steady growth in attendance,” said David Baston, chair of the NCAA Division I Softball Committee and director of athletic compliance at Texas A&M. “The University of Oklahoma, the Oklahoma All Sports Association, the city of Oklahoma City, the NCAA Division I Softball Committee and the NCAA have put a lot of effort into brainstorming new ways to market and promote the championship.”

After meeting with focus groups in Oklahoma City in late January, NCAA representatives adjusted the marketing strategy and placed more emphasis on reaching out to the community. Those new ideas are paying off.

On Monday night, Washington defeated Florida, 8-0, in the first of a best-of-three series for the national championship. A total of 6,060 fans attended that game. Game 2 is scheduled for Tuesday night.