The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Softball heads to Tuscaloosa for NCAA Regional
05.10.2009 | Softball
May 10, 2009
AUSTIN, Texas -- The University of Texas softball team has earned the second seed in the 2009 NCAA Regional in Tuscaloosa, Ala. The Longhorns will be making their fifth straight and 10th overall NCAA appearance when they travel to the University of Alabama for the three-day event.
Texas (38-18) received an at-large berth to the 64-team 2009 NCAA tourney and will compete in a four-team, double elimination NCAA Regional from Friday-Sunday, May 15-17. Head coach Connie Clark's squad will open regional action on Friday at 3:30 p.m. Central against Chattanooga. The Mocs (30-22) won the Southern Conference Tournament and received an automatic bid into the NCAA field.
The other two teams at the Tuscaloosa Regional are host, No. 3 Alabama (47-9), which finished the regular season as the SEC's Western Division champion and Mississippi Valley State (37-14), the Southwestern Conference Tournament champion. The Crimson Tide is an at-large pick, receiving the No. 4 national seed. Alabama and will take on Mississippi Valley State at 6 p.m. Central on Friday in first-round action.
The game times for Saturday and Sunday in Tuscaloosa will be announced by the NCAA at a later time.
Florida (55-3) was named the No. 1 seed in the 64-team field, while UCLA (41-9) earned the No. 2 seed, followed by third-seeded Washington (41-10), Alabama and fifth-seeded Michigan (41-10).
Thirty conferences were awarded automatic qualification, and the remaining 34 slots were filled with at-large selections to complete the bracket. The top 16 teams were seeded nationally and will play at campus sites this weekend.
Team pairings were determined by geographical proximity, with the exception that teams from the same conference were not paired during regional competition, when possible.
The SEC led all conferences with nine teams in the championship, while the Big 12 placed seven and the Big Ten and the Pacific-10 each placed six. Fresno State remains the only team to be selected to all 28 championships. Seven teams are making their initial appearances in the tournament: Bradley, James Madison, Kentucky, North Dakota State, Radford, Sacred Heart and Tennessee Martin.
Only nine schools have been crowned the NCAA Division I softball champion since the tournament started in 1982, and all are in this year's bracket.
NCAA Softball Tuscaloosa Regional Ticket Information
All-Session Pass
General Admission, Hillside Seating - $12
Reserved Seating - Adult - $30
Reserved Seating - Youth - $20
Single Day Pass- Sold Only on Game Day - All General Admission, Hillside Seating
Student GA-Hillside Single Day Pass - $3.00
Youth GA-Hillside Single Day Pass - $6.00 Adult
GA-Hillside Single Day Pass - $10.00
