The field is set for the 2016 NCAA Division I Softball championship. Below is a quick look at all of the regional assignments along with some quick thoughts.
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)
The top team in the country did get a rather tough regional at least from a pitching perspective. The top three pitchers in ERA will all play here in Aleshia Ocasio (Florida) .70, Delanie Gourley (Florida) .73 and Kylee Hanson (Florida Atlantic) .73. Also do not overlook Shelby Turnier who may not be having as strong as a season as she had a year ago, but she is still one of the better pitchers in the country. FAU and UCF faced each other this season with FAU coming away with a 2-0 (8-inning) win. Expect another close one here. Florida is in the drivers seat with probably the most well rounded team in the country and depth galore. It will be interesting to see if Hanson can slow the Gator offense down. We have Florida Advancing to the super regional.
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)
We will be frank, we do not think that Georgia should have got a 16 seed or be hosting a regional. Here is why; they are they are 4-6 in their last 10 and have some losses to teams that do not help the case. How they came up with this seed is rather baffling. With that said they should be vulnerable, but as you see they were paired with three teams barely .500 or better. They should get past Maine in their opener. They will then face either Northwestern, who they beat 5-4 back in February or Oklahoma State. We are hard pressed to call an upset here since neither of these have been that consistent. But of the two Northwestern may be the one. They have a balanced attack and speed which can cause problems. The issue is consistency with their pitching staff. Look for Georgia to advance.
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)
Kentucky is the clear favorite to advance here. They have the pitching and hitting to power past these three. This will be Butler’s first ever appearance in the championship and they earned it by winning the Big East. Illinois was much improved from previous years, but they may not be at the level of the Wildcats yet. Utah has had a brutal schedule to close out the year and comes in having lost six of their last eight. Look for Kentucky to cruise to the next round.
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)
This regional could be more interesting. The favorite is Florida State, who in our opinion looks sharp heading into the championship. They should get past Florida A&M and be challenged by either South Florida or South Carolina. South Carolina may be the more dangerous of the two with several wins over top ranked opponents on the season. If the Seminoles play as sharp as they have been they will be tough. Florida State heads to the next round.
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)
This regional should come down to Oregon and Baylor, although Long Beach is not incapable of taking out Baylor. Oregon who for the past few seasons have relied on their great pitching have become one of the best hitting teams in the country with a team BA of .354 which is third best in the nation. Couple that with their depth in the circle and they should be considered a legit threat to win a title this season. Most would argue Baylor should have got a top 16 seed, but they did not so now they face one of the best in the country.
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)
This may prove to be the toughest regional in the country. Two teams have 40 plus wins and neither are the seeded team. UCLA does own a 5-4 win over Fullerton this season. Fresno State and Cal St. Fullerton have also played once this year with Fullerton winning that one 5-0. Since then Fresno State is 23-1. That tells us they are playing well right now and should have a real battle with Fullerton. UCLA should get past this field, but it will not be a cake walk for the Bruins, they will need to be at the top of their game.
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)
Tennessee has put together a good season and the fact that they took it to Auburn twice in the regular season helped boost their seed. They also have a loss to a team in here and that would be Arizona. The Vols dropped in 1-0 game to the Wildcats early in the season. Of the two, Tennessee has played a bit better, but never count Arizona out when it comes to the NCAA championship. We are going with an upset here and picking Arizona to advance.
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)
Auburn continues their ascent under the guidance of Clint Myers capturing the SEC tournament title this season. They also knocked off No. 1 Florida on their way to that title. It does not appear that anyone in the region will threaten the Tigers, but that is why we play the games. USC Upstate is playing well, but this is a tall order for them.
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)
Barring a big upset the Sooners should roll through this region. They already have solid wins over both Wichita State and Tulsa. Tulsa did look sharp winning the conference tournament though. Ole Miss may be the “x” factor coming out of the SEC. They play a tough schedule and have had a few nice wins. With that said, although they are an improved team, Oklahoma is the one to beat.
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)
This could also prove to be a tough region. We get an old school Rival game in former conference foes Texas and Texas A&M. That should be a great game to kick things off. La.-Lafayette is back at full strength and have a great offense. They will be hard to handle but could get pressure from either Texas team. Texas A&M looked great to start the season, but the back half of their schedule has been tough on them. It is La.-Lafayette’s to lose.
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)
This one should be interesting, Washington beat Minnesota at the start of the season so we should see a rematch. Coming into the regional Minnesota has won 14 straight games including the Big Ten Championship knocking off No. 2 Michigan. Washington has lost three of their last seven games. For Minnesota it is all about pitching. If Sara Groenewegen pitches like she has been the Gophers will be tough to beat. Should be a great regional and one we have Minnesota winning.
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)
On paper the clear favorite is Alabama. The Tide come into the regional playing well, but not lights out. The issue is they should not face to tough of a test in this region, they will likely be tested more in the super regional. We have them beating Cal to advance.
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)
James Madison may be the team many people across the country pull for if they make it to the WCWS. They have the pitching and offense to make a good run. North Carolina may be their toughest test in the regional. The two were supposed to have played in the regular season but the game was washed out. The Dukes advance once step closer to the WCWS.
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)
LSU is coming off a nice run at the SEC tournament where they finished second losing to Auburn in the final. McNeese St. has some ranked wins and have shown at times they can play with some of the top teams in the country. They did face LSU during the season and dropped a 5-2 game. If LSU can play mistake free softball they have the pitching and hitting to carry them through.
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)
Missouri is another seed that could have a fight on their hands to get out of the regional. They face three solid teams. They faced BYU earlier this season and walked away with a 16-6 win. Nebraska and Louisville have played twice this year with the Cornhuskers winning both meetings. Nebraska does own wins over Oregon and James Madison this season. The issue has been consistency but they are capable of pulling an upset. Slight edge for Missouri to advance.
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)
Michigan is coming off a tough loss in the conference tournament to Minnesota, but they still have what we think is the best nine in a batting order. The Irish do have a few ranked wins, but they will have their hands full with the Wolverine hitters. Michigan advances.
