Here's the schedule for the Tuscaloosa Regional, followed by a story:
Friday
Game 1, Washington vs. South Carolina Upstate, 12:30 p.m. (ESPNU)
Game 2, Alabama vs. Fairfield, 3 p.m. (SEC Network)
Saturday
Game 3, Game 1 winner vs. Game 2 winner, 1 p.m.
Game 4, Game 1 loser vs. Game 2 loser, 3:30 p.m.
Game 5, Game 3 loser vs. Game 4 winner, 6 p.m.
Sunday
Game 6, Championship, Game 3 winner vs. Game 5 winner, noon
Game 7, if necessary, 2:30 p.m.
Radio: 95.3 FM
By Tommy Deas
Executive Sports Editor
The University of Alabama will have the chance to play at home in the NCAA Tournament regional and super regional rounds in its quest to earn a berth at the Women's College World Series, but won't have an easy road to Oklahoma City.
In fact, the fourth-ranked Crimson Tide may have to eliminate another fourth-ranked team to get there.
Alabama (48-9) was awarded the No. 6 overall seed, and will host Washington (40-15), South Carolina-Upstate (43-8) and Fairfield (25-22) in the Tuscaloosa Regional, which will be played Friday through Sunday at Rhoads Stadium.
The NCAA Tournament bid is the 17th straight for Alabama.
Alabama will play Fairfield at 3 p.m. on Friday in the first round in a game that will be televised on the SEC Network. Washington vs. South Carolina Upstate will start at 12:30 p.m. and be televised on ESPNU. None of the other games are scheduled for television but will be available online.
If UA wins the regional, it will host a best-of-three super regional against the winner of the Norman (Okla.) Regional, hosted by 11th seed Oklahoma. Alabama is ranked No. 4 in the USA Today/NFCA coaches poll and fifth in the ESPN.com/USA Softball Top 25, while Oklahoma is ranked fourth in the USA Softball poll and fifth in the coaches poll.
Alabama's No. 6 seed is in keeping with its ranking in the official NCAA RPI (Ratings Percentage Index) rankings. Oklahoma (45-7) just won its fourth straight Big 12 title, but was ranked 13th in the RPI.
Alabama defeated Oklahoma in the 2012 national championship series. UA also beat the Sooners in its World Series opener last year on the way to a runner-up finish.
Oklahoma's roster features two seniors who are among the most dangerous power hitters in NCAA history. Lauren Chamberlain hit her 91st home run earlier this month, breaking the college softball career home run record held by UCLA's Stacey Nuveman for 13 years. Shelby Pendley has hit 84 home runs, sixth-most in NCAA history.
Oklahoma will host Texas A&M, Central Arkansas and Lehigh in its regional.
Washington finished sixth in the Pac-12 with an 11-11 league record. South Carolina-Upstate won the Atlantic Sun Conference title and Fairfield won the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference tournament to earn an automatic bid.
The SEC landed five of the top eight seeds in the NCAA Tournament: defending national champion Florida at No. 1, No. 4 Auburn, No. 5 LSU, No. 6 Alabama and No. 8 Tennessee. The other top-eight seeds are No. 2 Oregon, No. 3 Michigan and No. 7 UCLA.
Friday
Game 1, Washington vs. South Carolina Upstate, 12:30 p.m. (ESPNU)
Game 2, Alabama vs. Fairfield, 3 p.m. (SEC Network)
Saturday
Game 3, Game 1 winner vs. Game 2 winner, 1 p.m.
Game 4, Game 1 loser vs. Game 2 loser, 3:30 p.m.
Game 5, Game 3 loser vs. Game 4 winner, 6 p.m.
Sunday
Game 6, Championship, Game 3 winner vs. Game 5 winner, noon
Game 7, if necessary, 2:30 p.m.
Radio: 95.3 FM
By Tommy Deas
Executive Sports Editor
The University of Alabama will have the chance to play at home in the NCAA Tournament regional and super regional rounds in its quest to earn a berth at the Women's College World Series, but won't have an easy road to Oklahoma City.
In fact, the fourth-ranked Crimson Tide may have to eliminate another fourth-ranked team to get there.
Alabama (48-9) was awarded the No. 6 overall seed, and will host Washington (40-15), South Carolina-Upstate (43-8) and Fairfield (25-22) in the Tuscaloosa Regional, which will be played Friday through Sunday at Rhoads Stadium.
The NCAA Tournament bid is the 17th straight for Alabama.
Alabama will play Fairfield at 3 p.m. on Friday in the first round in a game that will be televised on the SEC Network. Washington vs. South Carolina Upstate will start at 12:30 p.m. and be televised on ESPNU. None of the other games are scheduled for television but will be available online.
If UA wins the regional, it will host a best-of-three super regional against the winner of the Norman (Okla.) Regional, hosted by 11th seed Oklahoma. Alabama is ranked No. 4 in the USA Today/NFCA coaches poll and fifth in the ESPN.com/USA Softball Top 25, while Oklahoma is ranked fourth in the USA Softball poll and fifth in the coaches poll.
Alabama's No. 6 seed is in keeping with its ranking in the official NCAA RPI (Ratings Percentage Index) rankings. Oklahoma (45-7) just won its fourth straight Big 12 title, but was ranked 13th in the RPI.
Alabama defeated Oklahoma in the 2012 national championship series. UA also beat the Sooners in its World Series opener last year on the way to a runner-up finish.
Oklahoma's roster features two seniors who are among the most dangerous power hitters in NCAA history. Lauren Chamberlain hit her 91st home run earlier this month, breaking the college softball career home run record held by UCLA's Stacey Nuveman for 13 years. Shelby Pendley has hit 84 home runs, sixth-most in NCAA history.
Oklahoma will host Texas A&M, Central Arkansas and Lehigh in its regional.
Washington finished sixth in the Pac-12 with an 11-11 league record. South Carolina-Upstate won the Atlantic Sun Conference title and Fairfield won the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference tournament to earn an automatic bid.
The SEC landed five of the top eight seeds in the NCAA Tournament: defending national champion Florida at No. 1, No. 4 Auburn, No. 5 LSU, No. 6 Alabama and No. 8 Tennessee. The other top-eight seeds are No. 2 Oregon, No. 3 Michigan and No. 7 UCLA.
