| BSB/SB Cal vs Bama: NCAA Regional Championship—Sunday, 1:30PM

[Alabama News --]

Alabama softball has qualified for its 18th-straight NCAA Tournament, earning a No. 6 national seed to host its 12th-straight NCAA Regional round.

Joining Alabama in the Tuscaloosa Regional round are Cal (32-21-1), Texas State (39-20) and Samford (40-18). Action at Rhoads Stadium begins on Friday, May 20 at 1:30 p.m. CT as Cal takes on Texas State before Alabama faces Samford at 4 p.m. live on the SEC Network.

Alabama has played in the NCAA Tournament every season since 1999, owning an 81-39 (.675) all-time record. Alabama has won every regional round since 2005, the longest active streak in Division-I softball. This marks the 14th season that Alabama has earned a national seed, including a streak of 12-straight.

Cal, receiving votes outside the Top 25 in the latest polls, finished its season ranked fifth in the Pac 12, owning a 32-21-1 overall record and a 12-10-1 conference record. Alabama and Cal have met seven times in program history, with three of those meetings coming in the postseason. Most recently, Alabama defeated Cal, 5-2, in the 2012 Women’s College World Series en route to winning its first national title. Cal previously traveled to Tuscaloosa for the 2007 NCAA Regional, falling to the Tide, 13-1.

Texas State earned a 39-20 record this season with a 15-9 mark in Sun Belt play. The Bobcats made it to the Sun Belt Tournament game, falling to Louisiana-Lafayette. Texas State and Alabama have only met twice in program history with Alabama winning both contests at the season-opening tournament in San Marcos, Texas in 2007. Former Tide All-American Kelly Kretschman is an assistant coach with the Bobcats.

Samford, led by former Tide player Mandy Burford, is making its first NCAA Tournament appearance after earning the Southern Conference’s automatic bid by winning its conference tournament. Alabama and Samford have met 23 times in program history with the Tide winning 21 of them. Most recently, the teams played earlier this season in Tuscaloosa with Alabama winning 10-0 on March 8.

The winner of the Tuscaloosa will advance to face the winner of the Seattle Regional, hosted by No. 11 seed Washington (36-13). Other teams in Seattle include Minnesota (41-12), North Dakota State (38-18) and Weber State (37-17).

From RollTide.com—Continue reading...

 

[TerryP]

In the SEC tourney thread we talked about Bama being a fifth seed in the SEC. For the national tournament, a six seed.

There are two SEC teams seeded higher; the regular season and tournament champ.

On a side-note: 11 of the 13 SEC teams received an invitation. Here's the interesting part. UofSC, with a conference record of 7-17, gets an invite!?!?

 

[BAMANEWSBOT]

Eleven SEC softball teams earn NCAA bids

For the fourth consecutive year, the Southeastern Conference will be sending a league-record 11 teams to the tournament as the NCAA Division I Softball Committee announced its NCAA Championship bracket Sunday.

The SEC earned eight national seeds, as SEC regular season champion Florida (53-5) earned the national No. 1 seed and SEC Champion Auburn (49-9) earned the No. 4 seed. Alabama (46-12) is the No. 6 national seed, while Kentucky (43-12) is the No. 9 seed. LSU (45-15) is the No. 10 seed, and Tennessee (41-14) earned the No. 13 seed. Missouri (39-14) earned the No. 15 seed, while Georgia (40-17) rounds out the list as the No. 16 seed.

In addition, South Carolina (36-21) will compete in the Tallahassee Regional for the third consecutive year, while Ole Miss (39-20) earns its first trip to the NCAAs with a spot in the Norman Regional. Texas A&M marks its 27th NCAA appearance as the Aggies are set to play in the Lafayette Regional.

Regional play begins May 20-22, followed by the Super Regionals May 26-29. The Women's College World Series is June 2-8 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma at ASA Hall of Fame Stadium - OGE Energy Field.

Since 1997, the SEC has had eight teams advance to the Women's College World Series: Alabama (2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2015), Auburn (2015), Florida (2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2015), Georgia (2009, 2010), Kentucky (2014), LSU (2001, 2004, 2012, 2015), South Carolina (2007) and Tennessee (2005, 2006, 2007, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2015).

Only 12 schools have been crowned the NCAA Division I softball champion since the tournament started in 1982, with two SEC schools among the winners on that list. Alabama claimed the first national championship in SEC history when it downed Oklahoma, 5-4, on June 7, 2012. Florida, the two-time defending National Champion, defeated Alabama in the best-of-three series in 2014 and then became the third program in NCAA softball history to win back-to-back national titles after defeating Michigan in the 2015 WCWS Championship Series.

DATES/SITES/PAIRINGS (*Indicates Host Institution, SEC teams in bold):

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)

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)

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)

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)

Eleven SEC softball teams earn NCAA bids

 

[TerryP]

Full Bracket:

http://i.turner.ncaa.com/sites/default/files/external/gametool/brackets/softball_d1_2016.pdf

 

[alagator]

@TerryP I've seen a few people mention how many players Auburn has on their roster. It's been mentioned it's close to 30 while Alabama carries about 10 fewer players. Any thoughts?

 

[TerryP]

. Any thoughts?

H.O.P.E. Scholly. :devil:

 

[252BAMA]

It is not a given that Bama Football will win the NC when Softball goes to the WCWS. See 2008 and 2014. But, so far, it has been a given that they won't if they don't. See 2010 and 2013.

"Since 1997, the SEC has had eight teams advance to the Women’s College World Series: Alabama (2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2015),...."

Link

 

[bama alum]

Hope they get to host a super regional. I'd love to go see them play and advance to Oklahoma City.

 

[rick4bama]

That not a bad place to be.

 

[TerryP]

Hope they get to host a super regional. I'd love to go see them play and advance to Oklahoma City.

An overused phrase, but apropos ....

Just win and it'll take care of itself.

 

[TerryP]

Any thoughts?

Now that I've got a minute ...

There is a travel club based out of Birmingham that's been a 'feeder' to the program down there. The Thunderbolts facility is nicer than probably 95% of the college softball facilities across D1 play. The story has been there's been a lot of encouragement for those players to walk-on at Auburn with the 'promise' they'll be looking at a scholarship next year. It's a house built from straw that'll fall in on itself.

The facility was built and paid for by a former defensive lineman for Auburn, Richard Shea. It's a organization that's flush with cash. F.L.U.S.H.

I'm not saying they won't continue to have the success they've had these last two years. I am saying that using the "walk-on and you'll get a scholly" can only be sold for a few years and then it becomes hollow.

 

[bama alum]

An overused phrase, but apropos ....

Just win and it'll take care of itself.

Yes, I would think as a #6 seed they'll earn that right.

 

[PhillyGirl]

Let's get 'em, ladies. Risk it for the biscuit!!

 

[TerryP]

Yes, I would think as a #6 seed they'll earn that right.

You probably know this, but just in case you don't (or anyone else doesn't.)

The top eight seeds are automatic Super hosts as long as they win out. IE: If the seeded teams in Bama's bracket win out, the Tide will face the Huskies in the Super's.

There are a couple of games of note. If AU and UT win their regional the Vols will travel to Auburn for the Super's and UGA will be traveling to Gainesville to play the Gators. If I'm not mistaken, the Vols swept Auburn this season. That's got a chance to be a good series despite the two teams playing.

 

[252BAMA]

Can't believe how tough the Florida regional appears. FAU is 50-7 with 6 one run losses. Three of those six to tournament teams; #5 seed Oregon, B1G tournament champion Minnesota, and LIU-Brooklyn.

UCF has a pitcher, Shelby Turnier, who can shut down any team in the tournament, including Florida. As she did Bama in UCF's 8-1 win in the second game of the season. Bama had but 3 hits against her.

FWIW, Turnier gave up but two runs and four hits to FAU at UCF this year. But it was all FAU needed in a 2-0 win.

 

[Alabama News --]

The Cal Golden Bears (34-22-1) beat the Texas State Broncos (39-21), 1-0 in seven innings Friday to win game one of the 2016 NCAA Softball Tuscaloosa Regional being held at Rhoads Stadium this weekend.

From RollTide.com—Continue reading...

 

[Alabama News --]

The Alabama Crimson Tide beat the Samford Bulldogs 3-0 in seven innings, to close out day one of the 2016 NCAA Softball Tuscaloosa Regional being held at Rhoads Stadium this weekend.

From RollTide.com—Continue reading...

 

[bama alum]

Watching Bama play in the winner's bracket v. Cal on ESPN 3. Better than tv because Beth Mowin isn't calling the game.

When was the last time you saw back-to-back triples? Bama just pulled that off in the 3rd; the girls are up 2 - 1 now.

 

[bama alum]

Top of the 4th, Littlejohn gives up a lead-off single. She's replaced by Osorio who promptly gets the bases loaded for Cal's big RBI hitters. One pop up and two K's later...BOOM! Great job of getting out of a jam!

 

[bama alum]

Similar situation to begin the 7th and once again Osorio K's her way out. Onto the regional final tomorrow.