As announced on the NCAA selection show last night on ESPNU, The Louisville Cardinals Softball team has earned an at large bid and will be playing in the Columbia Regional along with the overall 15 seed Missouri, BYU and Nebraska. The Cards first game will be played on Thursday, May 19th at 5:30. It will be broadcast on ESPN2. The ladies will face Nebraska in their opening game of the double elimination regional. Here is the regional schedule…..
NCAA Softball Columbia Regional Schedule
Thursday, May 19
Game 1: Nebraska (33-19) vs. Louisville (35-15), 5:30 p.m. (ESPN2)
Game 2: BYU (35-19) at Missouri (39-14), 8 p.m. (ESPN2)
Friday, May 20
Game 3: Winner of Game 1 vs. Winner of Game 2, 2 p.m. (TBA)
Game 4: Loser of Game 1 vs. Loser of Game 2, 4:30 p.m. (TBA)
Game 5: Winner of Game 4 vs. Loser of Game 3, 7 p.m. (TBA)
Saturday, May 21
Game 6: Winner of Game 3 vs. Winner of Game 5, 2:30 p.m. (TBA)
Game 7: Winner of Game 6 vs. Loser of Game 6, 5 p.m. (TBA) (If necessary)
Back to Columbia, MO we go!! We will face Nebraska on Thurs @ 5:30pm ET on ESPN2! #RoadToWCWS #d1softball #AllAboard pic.twitter.com/MT7dGuMI3P
— Louisville Softball (@LouisvilleSB) May 16, 2016
After a semifinal loss to Notre Dame in the ACC championships, the ladies carry a 35-15 record into Columbia, MO. This is the 13th straight year they have made the NCAA tournament and the 2nd straight year they were placed in the Columbia regional. If the Cards advance from this regional they will play the winner of the Ann Arbor regional, that includes overall 2 seed Michigan, Notre Dame, Miami (Oh) and Valparaiso, in a 3 game series.
Louisville played Nebraska twice during the regular season. They faced off in the ACC/Big10 challenge in Raleigh NC. On February 20th, Nebraska beat Louisville 4-3 on a walk off single after Louisville tied the game in the top of the inning. On February 21st Nebraska won again beating Louisville 0-3 after Louisville only allowed 1 earned run. It appears that this first regional game against Nebraska should be a good one and the ladies will be motivated by revenge and also the memory of dropping their first two games in last years regional in Columbia. Good Luck Ladies!
Also, junior Maryssa Becker and sophomore Sidney Melton were named to the ACC Championship All-Tournament Team. Congrats to them.
