NCAA Softball Tournament Begins Tonight
Louisville will play opening game against Nebraska tonight (Louisville Athletics)
The NCAA Softball Tournament gets underway tonight, with two games in the Columbia regional starting the action. The University of Louisville (35-15), the last team in the tourney, will play Nebraska (33-19) while #15 Seed Missouri (39-14) will play Brigham and Young University (35-19). The NCAA Division I Softball Committee announced the 64-team field on Sunday.
Two time defending champions, Florida (53-5) was awarded the #1 overall seed in the tournament while 32 conference teams were awarded an automatic bid. The remaining 32 bids were at-large selections made by the committee to complete the bracket.
The top 16 teams were seeded nationally and will play at campus sites this weekend.
FUN FACT: Only 12 schools have been crowned the NCAA Division I softball champion since the tournament started in 1982, and all 12 will compete in this year’s bracket. (NCAA.com) FULL BRACKET:
DATES/SITES/PAIRINGS: *Indicates Host Institution
Gainesville Regional – May 20-22 at Gainesville, Florida
No. 1 seed Florida* (53-5) vs. Alabama St. (28-25)
Florida Atlantic (50-7) vs. UCF (36-20)
Athens Regional – May 20-22 at Athens, Georgia
Oklahoma St. (29-24) vs. Northwestern (26-26)
Maine (28-19) vs. No. 16 seed Georgia* (40-17)
Lexington Regional – May 20-22 at Lexington, Kentucky
No. 9 seed Kentucky* (43-12) vs. Butler (28-22)
Illinois (35-21) vs. Utah (32-19)
Tallahassee Regional – May 20-22 at Tallahassee, Florida
South Fla. (44-14) vs. South Carolina (36-21)
Florida A&M (27-28) vs. No. 8 seed Florida St.* (48-8)
Eugene Regional – May 20-22 at Eugene, Oregon
No. 5 seed Oregon* (44-8) vs. Fordham (39-19)
Long Beach St. (32-20) vs. Baylor (43-12)
Los Angeles Regional – May 20-22 at Los Angeles, California
Fresno St. (41-10-1) vs. Cal St. Fullerton (43-14)
Cal St. Bakersfield (16-32) vs. No. 12 seed UCLA* (35-13-1)
Knoxville Regional – May 20-22 at Knoxville, Tennessee
No. 13 seed Tennessee* (41-14) vs. Marist (45-11)
Ohio St. (33-18-1) vs. Arizona (36-19)
Auburn Regional – May 20-22 at Auburn, Alabama
Oregon St. (30-18-1) vs. USC Upstate (43-12)
Jacksonville St. (41-15) vs. No. 4 seed Auburn* (49-9)
Norman Regional – May 20-22 at Norman, Oklahoma
No. 3 seed Oklahoma * (47-7) vs. Wichita St. (35-19)
Tulsa (35-19) vs. Ole Miss (39-20)
Lafayette Regional – May 20-22 at Lafayette, Louisiana
Texas A&M (37-18) vs. Texas (37-14)
Boston U. (28-22) vs. No. 14 seed La.-Lafayette* (43-7)
Seattle Regional – May 20-22 at Seattle, Washington
No. 11 seed Washington* (36-13) vs. Weber St. (37-17)
North Dakota St. (38-13) vs. Minnesota (41-12)
Tuscaloosa Regional – May 20-22 at Tuscaloosa, Alabama
California (31-22-1) vs. Texas St. (39-20)
Samford (40-18) vs. No. 6 seed Alabama* (46-12)
Harrisonburg Regional – May 20-22 at Harrisonburg, Virginia
No. 7 seed James Madison* (46-4) vs. Princeton (23-26)
Longwood (38-18) vs. North Carolina (31-23)
Baton Rouge Regional – May 20-22 at Baton Rouge, Louisiana
McNeese St. (42-12) vs. Arizona St. (30-25)
LIU Brooklyn (30-25) vs. No. 10 seed LSU* (45-15)
Columbia Regional – May 19-21 at Columbia, Missouri
No. 15 seed Missouri* (39-14) vs. BYU (35-19)
Louisville (35-15) vs. Nebraska (33-19)
Ann Arbor Regional – May 20-22 at Ann Arbor, Michigan
Notre Dame (41-11) vs. Miami (OH) (34-21)
Valparaiso (18-32) vs. No. 2 seed Michigan* (46-5)
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